Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1405: 749: Trapped
Previously on Cultivation is just so scientific!...
Fifteen days after concluding his secluded meditation, Li Yuanba accepted a combat mission and departed from the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion.
His departure wasn't delayed by choice; rather, the window for his alchemy duties had arrived. Those seeking his services included both long-time companions and new contacts he had made over the last decade.
Within the confines of the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion, his mastery of alchemy was common knowledge.
He suspected that outside organizations might also be aware of his talents; regardless, cultivators from external sects had no way to reach him. He had long ago announced a strict policy of refusing alchemy commissions from anyone outside his own Sect.
He feared that if he actually started taking external requests, he would have no time left for his own Cultivation.
After receiving repeated warnings from his master, Jian Wuwei, to prioritize his safety, Li Yuanba said his goodbyes and left the Sect grounds.
Given his high rank, Jian Wuwei was privy to a wealth of intelligence, including reports that various factions were hunting for Li Yuanba for numerous reasons.
Many of these motives were sinister. Rumors circulated that Li Yuanba had seized the secret of ascension from the Langcai Great Power’s grotto heaven, along with a massive cache of resources belonging to a Great Cultivator.
Such rumors alone were enough to make any cultivator lose their mind with greed.
Despite the risks, Jian Wuwei couldn't keep Li Yuanba from his missions. For a Sword Cultivator to progress, battle experience is just as vital as rigorous meditation.
Stifling Li Yuanba's opportunities for combat would only hinder his growth in the long run.
Li Yuanba utilized ‘A Step to Eternity’ to traverse the ocean, his form flickering as he blurred across the waves.
While he was looking for a fight, he had no desire to be intercepted prematurely. At the very least, he intended to finish the Sect's objective before he started baiting his enemies.
The gates of the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion were situated near the coast; by repeatedly using ‘A Step to Eternity,’ the shoreline quickly came into view.
He avoided the most direct path to the shore, opting for a different route since the main coast was frequently patrolled by other Sword Cultivators from his Sect.
Once he made landfall, he retrieved his Identity Jade Disc to review the details of his assignment.
The objective was straightforward: execute a mid-stage Nascent Soul Cultivator from a prominent sect. During a prior deal, this individual had severely wounded an early-stage Nascent Soul Sword Cultivator from the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion.
Normally, the Sect does not intervene in personal disputes, as such trials are necessary for a Sword Cultivator’s development.
However, the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion would not stand for those who preyed on the weak or attempted to slaughter everyone to hide their crimes.
This intolerance stemmed from the fact that in the Cultivation World, senior practitioners often bullied their juniors, usually killing them afterward to erase all evidence.
Had that early-stage Nascent Soul Sword Cultivator died on the spot, the crime would have gone unpunished and unknown.
By employing such ruthless retaliation, the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion sent a clear message to the world: do not touch our junior disciples, or you will face our absolute wrath.
In this instance, it was fortunate that the victim managed to return with both his physical body and his Nascent Soul intact. Had only the Nascent Soul survived, the target of this mission would have expanded to include the perpetrator's entire sect.
The Sect would have settled for nothing less than a devastating price from the enemy faction, ensuring every power understood their resolve.
According to the data gathered by the Sect's Intelligence Department, the mid-stage Nascent Soul Cultivator was not taking refuge in his own sect but was hiding in a desolate, unsettled region.
The department had identified a general area, though they lacked a precise location.
The target had avoided his sect to prevent the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion from directing their vengeance toward his kin.
When he originally attacked the junior Sword Cultivator, he hadn't realized the man's affiliation. It was only after he had dealt a near-fatal blow and saw the victim escape using the Sect’s distinct Sword Escape technique that he realized the gravity of his mistake.
Well aware of the Sect’s reputation for vengeance, he knew a hunt was inevitable and fled to what he hoped was a secure hiding spot.
Hovering in the sky, Li Yuanba surveyed the landscape below—a dense forest featuring five mountain peaks arranged in a Five Elements formation.
He felt a flicker of doubt; was this layout natural, or was it a deliberate trap?
He expanded his perception, but the Spiritual Energy in the vicinity seemed perfectly normal.
Even after using his ‘Divine Eye,’ he couldn't detect any hidden anomalies.
“Am I just being paranoid?” he whispered to himself.
His caution was justified; he had survived countless ambushes before, including one so dire he was nearly caught. Without the intervention of his true body, he might have been dead already.
He circled above the five peaks, keeping a sharp eye on the terrain below.
As he passed the third summit, a specific trace of aura caught his attention.
The mission brief included a sample of the target’s aura to ensure there would be no mistakes in identity.
After comparing the two, he was certain: his target was right below him.
Casting aside his hesitation, he moved. With a flash of ‘A Step to Eternity,’ he reappeared instantly at the source of the aura.
Standing at the site, Li Yuanba projected his Divine Sense, subtly triggering several Formation nodes. A hidden grotto entrance slowly manifested before him.
Deep within the cave, the mid-stage Nascent Soul Cultivator felt the overwhelming pressure of the Sword Cultivator’s aura and began to shake uncontrollably.
His terror was well-founded; Sword Cultivators were famously lethal, possessing combat power that far outstripped typical practitioners of the same rank.