Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1414: 753: Pursuit (Part 2)

The defensive array of the Little Lei Yin Temple successfully obstructed the strike from the Xingyi Sword. Seeing this, Li Yuanba signaled with a gesture, causing the blade to whistle back to his side.

In the brief clash with Grand Monk Hongfa, it was clear that the monk had been severely outmatched. By retreating behind the temple's protective formation, Hongfa had essentially conceded the fight.

Truthfully, had Grand Monk Hongfa possessed the fighting spirit, he could have deployed his own magical treasures to retaliate rather than seeking refuge.

“You are Li Yuanba!” Grand Monk Hongfa’s expression shifted, becoming exceptionally grim. This loss of composure stripped away his serene Buddhist air, replacing it with the raw emotions of a common man.

At this point, it was impossible for Grand Monk Hongfa not to recognize the young Sword Cultivator standing before him.

Li Yuanba’s name had reached legendary heights in recent years. His feat of killing Master Ge Guang had firmly established him as the unrivaled number one expert of the Nascent Soul Middle Stage.

This reputation as the top cultivator of his level was a fact acknowledged by every major superpower in the Cultivation World.

Since Grand Monk Hongfa was stationed at this Little Lei Yin Temple, he was clearly not one of the more influential Great Venerables.

His combat prowess was unremarkable, and he lacked a warrior's instinct; his breakthrough to the rank of Venerable had been largely a matter of fortune.

Such cases are common in the Cultivation World. Many Great Cultivators among the Loose Cultivators are simply individuals blessed with extraordinary luck.

The odds of ascending to the rank of Great Cultivator are roughly one in dozens. Achieving it on the first try is considered an unreasonable stroke of luck, yet it happens occasionally due to the sheer number of practitioners.

In contrast, core disciples of great sects may have their success rates bolstered to one in ten or even one in five through vast resources, yet many still fail. There is often no logic to the path of Cultivation.

Even after several centuries of Cultivation following his promotion, Grand Monk Hongfa’s battle strength remained mediocre, barely reaching the standard of an ordinary Great Cultivator.

In this context, "ordinary Great Cultivators" referred to those without the backing or resources of a superpower.

However, Grand Monk Hongfa actually had access to decent resources; the Da Leiyin Temple would not deny him his share just because he was weak.

Possessing great self-awareness, he had volunteered to manage this Little Lei Yin Temple, taking charge of a territory far removed from the main temple.

This remote location allowed him to practice Buddhism and cultivate in peace, away from the internal conflicts of the Da Leiyin Temple.

Though he was no warrior, his origins in the Da Leiyin Temple granted him a certain level of insight.

The sheer destructive force of Li Yuanba’s single blow had filled him with the urge to flee. Once he realized who his opponent was, he chose to withdraw from the field immediately.

“Does the Venerable Master intend to hide behind the Little Lei Yin Temple’s formation to fight me?” Li Yuanba asked in a low, hesitant tone, surprised by the monk's behavior.

After that first exchange, Li Yuanba sensed that something was off with Grand Monk Hongfa.

The monk’s combat ability was truly underwhelming, only slightly better than Great Cultivator Luo Pei—and that was comparing him to a Luo Pei who didn't even have the Spiritual Treasure Black Water Sword.

He wondered how the Da Leiyin Temple could produce such a weak Venerable, thinking that even with resources alone, one should be able to forge better combat skills.

“Benefactor Li Yuanba, do not push your luck; you are offending the Da Leiyin Temple!” Grand Monk Hongfa bellowed, his face flushed with anger.

However, as he stood safely within the boundaries of the formation, his threats lacked any real weight.

Li Yuanba felt a headache coming on. What kind of Venerable was this? If the monk had agreed to a proper duel, Li Yuanba could have used the power of ‘Chaos Sword Intent’ to inflict a heavy wound.

But with Hongfa cowering inside the array, Li Yuanba faced a problem: even if he could dismantle the formation, he would have to defend against the monk's potential counterattacks during the process.

Just because Hongfa appeared weak didn't mean his strikes were harmless.

On the contrary, any attack from Grand Monk Hongfa would be devastating. Li Yuanba’s confidence in facing Great Cultivators relied entirely on his two spiritual treasures and his ‘Chaos Sword Intent’.

If the Little Lei Yin Temple’s formation absorbed Li Yuanba’s energy while allowing Hongfa to strike back, Li Yuanba would be in grave peril.

His physical defenses were not built to withstand a direct hit from a Great Cultivator. No matter how unskilled a Venerable might be, their raw power was still at that elite level and could shatter Li Yuanba’s defenses instantly.

His specialty was hit-and-run tactics, using various methods to ensure Great Cultivators never had the chance to land a blow.

He gave Grand Monk Hongfa a long, searching look before his body blurred and vanished, flickering repeatedly as he moved into the distance under the monk’s watchful eyes.

Grand Monk Hongfa watched him go and let out a long, shaky breath of relief.

Upon returning to the temple interior, he sought out Bai Yong—also known by his monastic name Ming Fa—the intelligence operative who used a secular alias.

Ming Fa was dressed as a common cultivator. His true monastic identity was known only to a few high-ranking Venerables at the Da Leiyin Temple; he usually operated as Bai Yong.

“My thanks to Grand Monk Hongfa!” Ming Fa said, bowing deeply with his hands pressed together.

While Ming Fa remained outwardly respectful, his internal thoughts were quite different. As an intelligence officer, he had watched the entire encounter with Li Yuanba.

He was stunned by Li Yuanba’s prowess, seeing him force a Venerable back with a single sword move. He was simultaneously terrified of the youth's power and disappointed by Hongfa's cowardice.

He knew Grand Monk Hongfa wasn't a fighter, but he hadn't realized the gap was this embarrassing.

“What are your plans now?” Grand Monk Hongfa asked, eyeing Ming Fa, whom he considered the root of his current troubles.

The question was a subtle hint for him to leave; the monk didn't want Ming Fa staying any longer than necessary.

“I will rest for one night and depart tomorrow!” Ming Fa replied. He understood the hint, but he wasn't willing to risk leaving just yet.

If he left now, he would almost certainly run into Li Yuanba.

Even though he had used a teleportation talisman to reach the temple, Li Yuanba had tracked him down with frightening speed.

He was certain that Li Yuanba possessed some sort of high-level tracking Secret Technique.

His plan was to wait until the next day. He had already sent word to the main temple. If Li Yuanba didn't leave today, he would have to face two Venerables by tomorrow.

“So be it,” Grand Monk Hongfa conceded. He couldn't simply kick Ming Fa out, as they both served the Da Leiyin Temple, and such an action would be difficult to explain to his superiors.

Ming Fa bowed and went to his quarters, while Grand Monk Hongfa closed his eyes and began to recite Buddhist mantras.

Meanwhile, Li Yuanba sat in meditation with his eyes shut. He hadn't just been talking during his confrontation outside the temple.

He had activated ‘Divine Sight’ to map out the temple's formation, feeding the data to IBMz15 for a comprehensive analysis.

The defensive array of the Little Lei Yin Temple was nearly as strong as a major sect's, lacking only a Cave Heaven Space barrier. This meant its ultimate defense was slightly inferior to a true mountain gate.

It was this specific lack of a Cave Heaven Space barrier that gave Li Yuanba a potential opening.

He also thought about Grand Monk Hongfa. He had fought many Great Cultivators, but none as unwilling to fight as this monk.

However, he realized this was a more realistic side of the Cultivation World.

Most Great Cultivators he had met before were those assigned to external combat missions. Those were the warriors.

Aside from the times his original body, Li Shiming, encountered Independent Cultivators while traveling, most such people avoided public attention.

These less capable Great Cultivators lived in fear of being targeted by the core disciples of superpowers—talents at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage who might use them as stepping stones to gain renown.

In truth, if Grand Monk Hongfa hadn't been protecting his target, Li Yuanba wouldn't have bothered with him.

There was, however, one more incentive: he wanted to study the Space Acceptance Array within the temple. Its research value to him was immense.