Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1498 - 795: Battle_2
Previously on Cultivation is just so scientific!...
Opposing a mighty power such as the White Emperor Sect brings consequences that are all too easy to foresee.
Yet the Li Shiming standing before them has already reached the rank of Great Cultivator, while that distant flying boat ranks as the finest vessel owned by the White Emperor Sect.
Given Li Shiming's ties to the White Emperor Sect, it's utterly unthinkable that he became a member of it. Just one explanation fits: Li Shiming slew a member of the White Emperor Sect and claimed this elite fourth-grade flying boat as his prize.
Deep in thought, Great Cultivator Qian Yi wavered inwardly before casting a quick look at Cultivator Lu nearby.
"What should we do?" he inquired through a voice transmission.
Cultivator Lu, as his trusted ally, grasped exactly what Great Cultivator Qian Yi implied. Out on the open sea, law holds no sway—raw power reigns supreme.
Eliminating a rootless cultivator like Li Shiming would not only clear away the danger but also secure the goodwill of the White Emperor Sect.
Besides, the 'White Emperor Light Cloud Boat' belonging to Li Shiming posed an irresistible lure. Even among colossal sects, a pinnacle fourth-grade flying boat remains scarce, available mainly to select inner-circle experts favored by top figures, and seldom do Great Cultivators claim one.
This pinnacle fourth-grade flying boat holds worth equal to the long-haul merchant convoy under their guard.
"Out here on the sea, we stick to the code!" Cultivator Lu responded through voice transmission.
Next, he unleashed a combat alert incantation, signaling the long-distance trade group to prepare for action.
Upon hearing Cultivator Lu's response, Great Cultivator Qian Yi's energy surged dramatically.
"What a pity!" he uttered in a grave tone.
He mourned the impending doom of a prodigy like Li Shiming right here and now.
A youthful prodigy and brilliant Alchemy Master, he had the misfortune of forging bitter grudges with both Central State Commerce and the White Emperor Sect. To safeguard Central State Commerce from Li Shiming's potential vengeance later, removing this hazard became essential.
This realization swiftly convinced him that his assault carried a noble purpose, if nothing else for Central State Commerce's sake.
Li Shiming's fighting prowess held no concern for him.
Though Li Shiming had attained Great Cultivator status too, considering his youth, he must have only recently broken through to that level.
For two seasoned Great Cultivators like themselves against just one, overpowering Li Shiming promised to be straightforward.
Provided they kept Li Shiming from returning to the 'White Emperor Light Cloud Boat,' they felt assured of ending him permanently in this spot.
"You've chosen poorly!" Detecting the shifting auras from the pair of Great Cultivators of Central State Commerce, Li Shiming discerned their scheme and spoke with steady calm.
Unnoticed by Great Cultivator Qian Yi, his 'Traceless Illusion Sword' crept silently to the man's rear.
Since reaching Great Cultivator, Li Shiming had infused the 'Traceless Illusion Sword' with 'Chaos Sword Intent' drawn from the 'Heavenly Human Technique,' boosting its stealth even more.
In his earlier Nascent Soul Middle Stage days, a vigilant Great Cultivator could potentially spot the 'Traceless Illusion Sword' through focused probing.
Things had changed now, however. As a Great Cultivator himself, Li Shiming could draw out far more might from the spiritual treasure 'Traceless Illusion Sword' using 'Chaos Sword Intent.'
Only a mighty cultivator can unlock a spiritual treasure's true might. Whether wielded by Nascent Soul Middle Stage experts or Great Cultivators, it yields but a fraction of its capability.
In Li Shiming's grasp, the 'Traceless Illusion Sword' shone as his mightiest spiritual treasure, etched with ten billion sharpness runes alongside four billion sturdiness runes—a scarce dual-rule spiritual treasure bearing the 'sharpness rule imprint' and 'sturdiness rule imprint.'
Great Cultivator Qian Yi noted Li Shiming's refusal to spin away in flight or retreat to the 'White Emperor Light Cloud Boat,' filling him with glee.
Geniuses often share this flaw: believing they can match peers head-on, yet Li Shiming likely overlooked the vast chasm separating cultivators at the Great Cultivator level despite equal ranks.
As Great Cultivator Qian Yi faced Li Shiming, the 'Chaos Sword Intent' cloaking Li Shiming's 'Traceless Illusion Sword' stayed concealed until the strike, preventing any prior revelation.
Without detecting the 'Chaos Sword Intent,' he remained oblivious to its dread power, and thus free of dread.
Yet freedom from fear didn't enhance his performance; his assumptions missed the mark. Li Shiming surpassed a mere fresh Great Cultivator.
Even in Nascent Soul Middle Stage, Li Shiming had commanded Great Cultivator-level strength.
Now a full Great Cultivator, he mastered the Five Elements rules, Thunder Rules, and Sword Intent Rule, while owning two spiritual treasures—including a paramount thunder-element treasure.
"Li Shizhen, you'd be wise to yield. Given your alchemy talent, survival might still be possible!" Cultivator Lu urged from nearby.
"Since becoming a Great Cultivator, I haven't clashed with an equal, so bring it on!" Li Shiming declared with a hearty laugh.
"You're courting death!" With a flick of his hand, Great Cultivator Qian Yi sent a jade ruler hurtling at Li Shiming.
Mid-flight, the jade ruler swelled into a massive five-meter rod, crashing down on Li Shiming amid overwhelming force.
"Slash!" Li Shiming held his ground without evading, issuing the command softly.
Just as it hit Great Cultivator Qian Yi, the 'Traceless Illusion Sword' materialized. The fearsome sword intent of 'Chaos Sword Intent' rippled from its see-through edge, saturating the surroundings.
Cultivator Lu, poised to join the fray, paused briefly upon feeling the 'Chaos Sword Intent's' aura stir him.
Though Great Cultivator Qian Yi felt the rear assault, evasion came too late.
In that instant, he moved to trigger the life-saving jade talisman in his soul crystal ring, recognizing the peril and opting for the sharpest response.
Forged by a formidable cultivator, the life-saving jade talisman enabled a potent escape technique, backed by a mighty one's power, when triggered amid true mortal danger.
Given its rarity, though, he reserved activation for pre-threat moments to spare squandering such a vital item.
On this occasion, Great Cultivator Qian Yi misjudged. Believing his Great Cultivator cultivation outmatched Li Shiming's, he assumed ample time to invoke the life-saving jade talisman even under duress.
Yet when the 'Traceless Illusion Sword' impaled him, none of his layered protections slowed it a bit.
A barrier of defensive spellwork, a robe granting automatic safeguards, and a self-protecting ornament all showcased the lavish defenses of a wealthy Great Cultivator.
Regrettably, this array of safeguards shattered instantly against the Great Cultivator-strength 'Chaos Sword Intent' and the openly displayed spiritual treasure 'Traceless Illusion Sword.'
With the final barrier crumbling, the 'Traceless Illusion Sword' plunged into his form, rendering the life-saving jade talisman activation impossible.
The 'Chaos Sword Intent' fell short of the Sword Intent Stele's pinnacle, but in sword intent mastery, it outstripped every Sword Cultivator in the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion.
What made 'Chaos Sword Intent' so horrifying was its invasion upon entry, striking body and Nascent Soul alike. Beneath 'Chaos Sword Intent's' onslaught, flesh, Nascent Soul, and spirit endured a barrage of sword intent conditions.
Beneath those layered sword intent states, forget retaliation—even his divine sense lagged, barring Great Cultivator Qian Yi from triggering the life-saving jade talisman.
"So this is the gap with elite geniuses?" That was Great Cultivator Qian Yi's final notion as awareness slipped away.
After Great Cultivator Qian Yi's demise, the enormous jade ruler targeting Li Shiming plummeted from above, shrinking back to normal and dropping into Li Shiming's waiting grasp.
Li Shiming eyed the jade ruler, noting it wasn't Great Cultivator Qian Yi's bound treasure. Even so, as a pinnacle fourth-grade item, it piqued his curiosity, and he stored it securely.