Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1368 - 730: Extermination_2

"I am waiting for you and Li Yuanba in Hell!" The Nascent Soul of Great Cultivator Duan Zhang stared at Li Shiming and spat out these words.

A bolt of lightning crashed into the cage of light, but contrary to what Great Cultivator Duan Zhang anticipated, the electrical discharge was merely a distraction. The Heavenly Ghost was the actual force responsible for dismantling Great Cultivator Duan Zhang’s Nascent Soul.

Resigning himself to fate, Great Cultivator Duan Zhang’s Nascent Soul stopped resisting and awaited the end. In truth, offering any defense under these conditions would have been futile anyway.

However, had Great Cultivator Duan Zhang realized his soul was destined to be consumed by the Heavenly Ghost, he surely would have fought until his very last breath.

Being devoured by a Heavenly Ghost results in the absolute erasure of the soul—a terrifying demise that no Cultivator can bear to face.

"No!" This was the final cry from Great Cultivator Duan Zhang’s Nascent Soul, a sound saturated with despair and profound regret; this was not the end he had envisioned.

As the Heavenly Ghost swallowed Great Cultivator Duan Zhang’s Nascent Soul, a surge of terrifying spirit energy immediately took hold. It invaded the Nascent Soul’s consciousness, stopping the self-detonation process in its tracks and stripping away the ability to trigger it.

Usually, the self-detonation of a Nascent Soul leads to the total destruction of both spirit and soul, wiping a life completely from the world. Because of this, standard Nascent Soul Cultivators rarely choose such a path, even when facing certain death.

Great Cultivator Duan Zhang possessed that grim resolve, but unfortunately, his decision came too late.

The Heavenly Ghost is a specialist in hunting spirits and souls; once they are swallowed, they enter its personal domain. Even the Nascent Soul of a Great Cultivator lacks significant defensive power compared to one at the Middle Stage Nascent Soul level, making it easy prey for the Heavenly Ghost’s intrusion.

Furthermore, the Heavenly Ghost had already received numerous upgrades. Consuming a Great Cultivator’s Nascent Soul this time provided massive benefits, requiring the creature to take time for digestion.

Li Shiming wasn’t concerned about his summon becoming too powerful. Since practicing the ’Heavenly Human Technique’, his spirit had reached the heights of a Great Cultivator. As long as the Heavenly Ghost did not unexpectedly ascend to the fifth-grade, it would remain firmly under his thumb.

The Heavenly Ghost coughed up a ’Heavenly Strike Thunder Hammer’ and a soul crystal ring before collapsing into a shapeless mass.

Li Shiming placed the Heavenly Ghost into the Heavenly Person Cave Heaven. It would return to the corpse of Great Cultivator Luo Pei, utilizing that powerful body to aid its digestion.

Picking up the ’Heavenly Strike Thunder Hammer’, Li Shiming noted it was a top-tier fourth-grade Artifact Tribulation Treasure, humming with the faint vibrations of thunder rule power. It was evident that Great Cultivator Duan Zhang had spent centuries refining this weapon, weaving his own understanding of the Dao of thunder into its core.

"What a shame." He shook his head, stowing the ’Heavenly Strike Thunder Hammer’ away.

This weapon was Great Cultivator Duan Zhang’s life-bound treasure. No matter how deep the refinement, it was tailored specifically to its original master. For any other Thunder Cultivator, the more thorough the previous owner's refinement, the harder it becomes to wipe away their lingering influence.

He also claimed the soul crystal ring, though he decided against inspecting its contents in this location.

He wasn't sure how much commotion his duel with Great Cultivator Duan Zhang had caused or who might be watching. He could not afford to have his identity revealed.

Sensing the energy reserves within him, he activated ’One Step Ahead’, vanishing toward the distant horizon.

As he retreated, he reflected on the day's conflict.

This was his first genuine, head-to-head battle against a top-tier Great Cultivator at their peak, and he had emerged victorious.

Though one could argue it wasn't truly a "fair" fight.

While Li Shiming had analyzed Great Cultivator Duan Zhang, the latter knew almost nothing of Li Shiming’s true strength or maneuvers. This gap in information was the primary reason for Great Cultivator Duan Zhang’s total defeat.

It was telling that throughout the entire engagement, Great Cultivator Duan Zhang failed to land a single blow.

Attacks from a Thunder Cultivator are famed for being the swiftest and nearly impossible to dodge.

Yet, Li Shiming seemed to have predicted every move before it happened.

Li Shiming possessed unique combat assistance; his life-bound treasure, IBMz15, had grown stronger alongside his own spirit.

Prior to the fight, IBMz15 had processed all available data on the enemy, simulating every possible reaction and counter-strategy.

During the heat of battle, IBMz15 provided a live analysis of the field, identifying every flaw in the opponent's stance.

Provided Li Shiming and his foe were in the same Cultivation tier, he could use superior tactical execution to crush them.

Naturally, Li Shiming still had flaws, his Cultivation realm being the most obvious. However, the ’Heavenly Human Technique’ filled those gaps, bringing him close to the capabilities of a Great Cultivator.

Still, he hadn't practiced the ’Heavenly Human Technique’ for long. Even with IBMz15 helping, his defensive skills couldn't yet rival those of a veteran Great Cultivator.

The defensive gear he had previously worked on was now too weak for his current level of power.

Since he hadn't forged new defensive treasures yet, he had to rely entirely on his physical form for protection.

Having a body comparable to a Body Refining Great Cultivator gave him the confidence to take a hit, but he feared the paralyzing effects of Great Cultivator Duan Zhang’s Thunder Skills.

If those skills had frozen him, Great Cultivator Duan Zhang would have finished him easily.

Consequently, Li Shiming had used flawless precision in the fight, leveraging his strengths so perfectly that Great Cultivator Duan Zhang never managed to touch him.

By utilizing Great Cultivator-level offensive tactics, he had quickly neutralized his opponent.

Li Shiming eventually reached a point a thousand miles away from the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion, where he summoned his avatar, Li Yuanba.

"My thanks, fellow Daoist. Here are some Great Cultivator Spirit Pills for your refinement!" Li Yuanba spoke with formal politeness, even as he moved with practiced efficiency to hand over several jade boxes.

"Fellow Daoist, please be more careful in the future!" Li Shiming replied, nodding as he took the boxes.

Without wasting a second, Li Yuanba used ’Limitless Horizon’ to speed toward the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion.

He made a mental note to constantly vary his path whenever he was out in the open.

He was certain a fellow Sword Cultivator had sold him out, though proving it would be a challenge.

A traitor only needs a simple communication token to leak a location, but catching them would require the Sect's massive array for total surveillance and a complex sting operation to bait the mole into acting again.

He shook his head, putting the hunt for the traitor on hold; increasing his own strength was the priority.

Upon returning to the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion, just as Li Yuanba approached his residence in the Sword Cave Heaven, a figure materialized.

"Greetings, Sword Elder!" he said, bowing quickly.

In the Sword Cave Heaven, only the Sword Elder could move with such suddenness.

"You are carrying the marks of the Yuqing Sect’s Soul-locking Restriction Technique; what transpired?" the Sword Elder asked, signaling for him to stand.

As the guardian of the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion, the Sword Elder was immediately alerted to any foreign energy entering the Sword Cave Heaven.

After his capture by Great Cultivator Duan Zhang, Li Yuanba had been placed under two seals. The artifact seal was simple to break with raw force.

Great Cultivator Luo Pei had cleared the artifact seal with a wave of his hand, but the secret technique of the Yuqing Sect was far more stubborn.

Among those in the Great Cultivator Realm, Luo Pei was on the weaker side. Even with Li Shiming’s deep knowledge of the ’Yuqing Thunder Scripture’, removing the Soul-locking Restriction Technique had been an ordeal.

Traces of the technique still clung to Li Yuanba, requiring him to slowly wear them away over time.

He hadn't expected the Sword Elder to be so perceptive as to notice the lingering residue.

It was worth noting that the Sword Elder’s current paranoia was actually caused by Li Shiming’s own past actions.

Ever since the Grotto Heavens of the Fuliu and Qianren Sects were infiltrated, every Sect with a Grotto Heaven—including the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion—had been on high alert.