Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1448 - 770: Healing (2)

His wounds mended in a little more than ten breaths, and precisely when they fully recovered, the green glow from the 'Innate Wood' divine power faded away as well.

A feeling of emptiness washed over him, as he longed for that restorative light to linger on, potentially granting him even greater gains.

Yet alas, what ends must end. Thanks to Li Yuanba's exacting command, no shred of the healing force lingered behind.

"How is Brother Lu?" one of the Great Cultivators inquired.

Truth be told, the question was unnecessary. Given the vast experience of those gathered, they could easily detect the mending of Cultivator Lu's wounds just by sensing his vital energy.

"I feel amazing. If that Hell Creature somehow survived, I'd be ready to clash with it once more!" Cultivator Lu declared with a grin, flexing his arm.

With his own words confirming it, every Great Cultivator now regarded Li Yuanba with newfound respect in their eyes.

This young man was a priceless asset, especially here in the Hell Cave Heaven, where their very lives hinged on his abilities.

"Mr. Li, words fail me in expressing my gratitude. I've got these Sword Cultivation Books that I picked up long ago. Sadly, sword cultivation isn't my forte, so please take them as my humble thanks. I hope they please you!" Cultivator Lu produced ten Jade Scrolls and offered them to Li Yuanba, voicing his appreciation.

Li Yuanba took hold of the Jade Scrolls, noting the three golden and five purple ones that marked their extraordinary worth.

"I won't turn down Senior Lu's kind gift, so I'll gladly take them!" Li Yuanba replied with a cheerful smile.

These Sword Cultivation Books hailed from the personal hoard of a Great Cultivator tied to the Central State Commerce.

And judging by the look of the Jade Scrolls, the majority appeared to be relics from ancient times.

In the world of Cultivation, anything deemed ancient carries at least thousands of years behind it; lesser ages simply don't qualify.

Consider that even a Nascent Soul Early Stage expert boasts a lifespan of a full millennium, let alone those in the Nascent Soul Middle Stage or the exalted Great Cultivators.

"I'm thrilled if Mr. Li finds them to his liking!" Cultivator Lu beamed with joy at parting with those ten Jade Scrolls.

He had stumbled upon the ten Sword Cultivation Jade Scrolls by sheer chance amid a trade venture, plucked from the lost archives of a vanished Sword Cultivation sect, treasures wasted on one unfit like him.

Settling the debt to Li Yuanba stood paramount, and through these ten Sword Cultivation Jade Scrolls, he might even forge a lasting alliance, a move of immense value.

The Central State Commerce's inner web of spies held faint reports on Li Yuanba's pill-refining feats at the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion, including his crafting of elixirs for Great Cultivators.

This lines up with how the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion's Great Cultivators hadn't turned to any other Alchemy Master in over ten years for producing Great Cultivator Spirit Pills.

On top of that, whispers from another channel spoke of high-grade spirit pills in the possession of Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion's Great Cultivators, pointing to the same truth.

The strongest likelihood points to Li Yuanba holding the skill to forge top-tier Great Cultivator Spirit Pills.

Even if the odds sat at a mere one percent, Cultivator Lu wouldn't pass up the chance to build ties with Li Yuanba in hopes of securing his pill-refining aid.

Beyond the alchemy angle, the sheer might of Li Yuanba's 'Innate Wood' divine power alone justified such a lavish show of thanks.

Still, Cultivator Lu's generous move drew sharp looks from a handful of Great Cultivators.

Not all Great Cultivators enjoy the lavish backing of a powerhouse like the Central State Commerce. As one of the few trading giants, it wields an innate edge in riches.

Cultivator Lu's gift had just spiked the standard for compensating Li Yuanba's life-saving healings.

Forget about getting treatment for nothing; free favors don't exist in the Cultivation World.

The freer it seems, the steeper the price to balance the scales.

That's precisely why so many Cultivators shy from debts of gratitude, since settling one could thrust them into deadly perils.

As per their pact, even though the Central State Commerce squad failed to finish the purge on schedule, they passed the duty to a different superpower squad to carry on.

At the same time, the 'Hell Disgust Crystal Essence' harvested from the fallen Fourth Grade Late Stage Hell Creature went straight to Li Yuanba, with zero pushback from the Great Cultivators.

Earlier, claiming the 'Hell Disgust Crystal Essence' with little effort might have sparked grumbles among some Great Cultivators.

But following his display of the 'Innate Wood' divine power in restoring a Great Cultivator, not a single Great Cultivator harbored such doubts.

In the fights that followed, each superpower squad treaded with extra care, steering clear of any rivalry with the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion.

The goal now burned bright: to cut down as many Hell Creatures as they could, thinning their numbers in this zone.

To push further into the Hell Cave Heaven, securing this outpost's defenses came first.

Li Yuanba settled into a cross-legged pose, hovering a foot off the earth, his Divine Sense flowing across the ten Jade Scrolls stored in the soul crystal ring.

Once linked to IBMz15, all the wisdom from those ten Jade Scrolls would flood into IBMz15's vast archives.

"Ah, this one's a staple for close-quarters Sword Cultivators!" While probing and reflecting, he spotted something special in the text of a golden Jade Scroll.

Usually, golden Jade Scrolls impose barriers to access, yet with his Nascent Soul Middle Stage cultivation and Sword Cultivator path, Li Yuanba cleared whatever thresholds the golden Jade Scroll demanded.

Inside the golden Jade Scroll lay an untitled Cultivation Technique that struck a chord of deep recognition in him.

This Cultivation Technique centered on forging select metals into one's very being, then relentlessly strengthening the flesh, which in turn elevated the sword forged from that metal, meeting the demands of higher realms.

It bore striking parallels to the 'Sword Demon Secret Manual'; still, the 'Sword Demon Secret Manual' brimmed with gaps and ambiguities, spanning only up to the Golden Core Stage, with its later sections offering little beyond bolstering the sword base through bodily might.

These days, Li Yuanba rarely drew on his Fourth-Grade Sword Foundation.

The chief cause lay in how the Fourth-Grade Sword Foundation's strength fell short for his level, and though he'd honed a sword body via the 'Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique', it failed to suit his needs in brutal melee.

The sword body counts as a Body Refining Technique, but it's the sort favored by classic Sword Cultivators or those wielding Flying Swords, aimed at boosting defenses over raw fighting prowess up close.

Right now, the Fourth-Grade Sword Foundation served mainly against foes and arms far beneath his own power.

Yet this nameless Cultivation Technique stood as a full-fledged melee Sword Cultivation path soaring all the way to the Mahayana Realm.

Naturally, the Mahayana Realm portions unlocked for Li Yuanba because he satisfied the jade scroll's hidden criteria.

Should Cultivator Lu learn he'd handed over a jade scroll hiding a melee Sword Cultivation Technique that touched the Mahayana Realm, he'd likely have hesitated long before offering it.

Though Cultivator Lu couldn't unlock the jade scroll's full depths himself, he'd enlisted a Sword Cultivator from Central State Commerce to inspect it, only then deeming it fit as a thank-you gift.

To his mind, the top worth of these Jade Scrolls rested in enriching Sword Cultivation lore, particularly since this golden Jade Scroll's melee Sword Cultivation record had faded into obscurity ages ago.

Even regarding sword arms, no modern cultivator would choose a wielded longsword; flying swords held the clear preference.

Li Yuanba's gaze lit up as he delved into the nameless Cultivation Technique's secrets, building on the groundwork laid by him and his primary form, Li Shiming, through the 'Sword Demon Secret Manual.'

Cultivating the nameless Cultivation Technique demanded a solid base to start.

Lacking the inner sword foundation, one couldn't temper the nameless Cultivation Technique at all.

The sword foundation had to fuse into the body back in the Qi Refinement Realm, when the flesh remained supple enough for seamless blending with the forged metal.

Li Yuanba commanded two Natal Treasures at spirit treasure quality. Though these had merged into his form and shifted to pure energy forms, they differed from the essence of the Fourth-Grade Sword Foundation.

The Fourth-Grade Sword Foundation acts more like a living organ within the body, evolving alongside it. It evades detection by any cultivator's scan, yet when summoned, the Fourth-Grade Sword Foundation can manifest as a solid, battle-ready longsword.