Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1548 - 820: Sealing (Part 2)
Previously on Cultivation is just so scientific!...
Without keen focus, his voice fades into murmurs that can't be discerned properly.
Naturally, this turns his once-intimidating threats into something that lacks any real menace.
"You’re facing me with three thousand years of cultivation, while I’m not even 150 years old!" Li Shiming shot back with a frosty grin.
Those words cut sharply into the Half-step Great Power, given how he ended up bound by a cultivator under 150 years old—especially since he had launched the assault first.
"What terms will you set for my release? Be it magical artifacts, rare materials, or cultivation resources, my hoard should satisfy whatever you ask for!" The Half-step Great Power dropped the intimidation and shifted to tempting offers.
"Do you possess items on par with the ’Shenxiao Thunder Pearl’? What about spiritual treasures?" Li Shiming pressed with a series of questions.
At Li Shiming’s query, the Half-step Great Power paused, unsure of his reply.
True enough, as a leading figure in the Yuqing Sect, the Half-step Great Power had amassed a vast collection over his lifetime.
Yet, owing to his current realm, certain treasures remained out of his reach.
What exactly is the ’Shenxiao Thunder Pearl’? It’s an exclusive item for Great Powers alone, one that boosts the might of their Thunder Skill attacks.
Even among Great Powers, rarities like the ’Shenxiao Thunder Pearl’ are few and far between.
While most Great Powers hold at least one spiritual treasure, those who claim a second one are exceptionally rare. Until one ascends to true Great Power status, spiritual treasures stay beyond grasp.
The Half-step Great Power tried to respond once more, only to find his voice cut off entirely.
As it happened, during his exchange with the Half-step Great Power, Li Shiming hadn’t halted the late-stage Golden Corpse’s rune inscription.
That jade compass’s material ranked as prime fourth-grade, allowing the rune to unleash its peak potency and anchor firmly onto its surface.
Such a rune delivers straightforward and effortless results, unlike the setup from one hundred and eight Buddha Beads, which demands ongoing tweaks if relocated and proves a hassle in transit.
This success stemmed from Li Shiming’s superior Formation skills; typical Great Cultivators couldn’t relocate a one hundred and eight Buddha Beads array without disrupting its function.
The final mark finished, fully blocking the spatial link between the jade compass and the outer realm.
Only now did Li Shiming ease up; the Half-step Great Power clung desperately to his three thousand years of cultivation. If he had struck during the Formation’s setup or the rune’s drawing, a faint chance for a last-ditch struggle might have emerged.
However, weighing the cost of forfeiting three thousand years of cultivation made such a choice agonizingly tough.
By the time the Half-step Great Power resolved to act, the moment had slipped away, leaving him without any opening for a fierce counter.
Li Shiming stepped near the jade compass and effortlessly gathered the one hundred and eight Buddha Beads; the Formation served no further purpose in containment.
The spatial sealing rune he inscribed, paired with the jade compass’s inherent material, outdid the Buddha Beads array in effectiveness by a wide margin.
Within the jade compass lingered an owner’s mark, which he detected as Master Wang He’s spirit imprint.
He left that owner’s imprint untouched and scanned for his target. Before long, right at the jade compass’s core, he spotted a spherical form, nestled like a gem in its heart.
Without his studies on Grotto Heaven, he could easily have dismissed it as an ordinary pearl and missed it altogether.
This stood as one key way Grotto Heaven appeared in the wider world. It’s called one manifestation since the Cave Heaven Master dictates how Grotto Heaven projects outward—whether as energy, solid form, or even bound to a living host.
A subtle smirk crossed Li Shiming’s features; ample time lay ahead to deal with the Half-step Great Power, who had caused him endless headaches and nearly ended his life.
He might not survive a single flick from the Half-step Great Power in open combat, but with the foe trapped inside the Grotto Heaven, the tables turned—now only he could strike at the enemy, while the enemy remained powerless against him.
This sealing rune formed a one-way barrier. From outside, one could glimpse into the Grotto Heaven or channel energy within, but the Half-step Great Power trapped inside couldn’t shatter the spatial seal.
Li Shiming had no intention of carrying out his scheme right there. A more robust seal was essential to guarantee the Half-step Great Power held zero escape routes.
He stowed the jade compass away, then directed two late-stage Golden Corpses to haul the two Peak Great Cultivators.
Regret surged to its peak in the two Peak Great Cultivators’ minds, particularly for Master Wang He.
On this occasion, not just he—the elite Thunder Cultivator—got caught by the Yuqing Sect’s schemes, but a Half-step Great Power fell into the trap too.
Though their bodies and Nascent Souls stood sealed, their senses remained sharp—they had witnessed Li Shiming’s entire process of sealing the Half-step Great Power’s Grotto Heaven.
Despair washed over them; that figure was a Half-step Great Power, yet Li Shiming swiftly pinpointed his critical flaw and exploited it to lock down the Grotto Heaven.
Earlier, a sliver of optimism lingered: with the Half-step Great Power still active and untouchable by Li Shiming, rescue seemed possible.
They even suspected Li Shiming kept them alive because of the Half-step Great Power’s influence.
"Mr. Liu, I require a set of Fourth-grade Array Materials. Attached is the list!" Li Shiming transmitted via a contact plate to Master Liu Ziyun of the Central State Commerce.
"Mr. Li, we have those Array Materials in stock. Where should I send them?" Master Liu Ziyun responded without delay.
Li Shiming checked his location and forwarded the coordinates to Master Liu Ziyun.
It was an ideal spot, distant from any cultivators. He intended to settle the Half-step Great Power matter precisely here.
He wouldn’t risk transporting the jade compass back to the sect for handling, fearing some final gambit from the Half-step Great Power; his ’One Step Forward’ allowed an eight-thousand-mile spatial leap for escape, but the sect couldn’t endure a Half-step Great Power’s desperate outburst.
As to why he bypassed the Ten Thousand Beast Sect’s aid for Array Materials and turned to Central State Commerce instead.
Sure, the Ten Thousand Beast Sect stocked plenty of Array Materials, but their recent growth—especially the Taichu branch rebuild—left their supplies stretched thin for internal needs; those reserves had specific purposes.
From Central State Commerce, Li Shiming could defer payment, offsetting all bought Spiritual Objects later through Spirit Pill refining.
Though Fourth-grade Array Materials count as valuables in the Cultivation World, they barely register at Great Cultivator tiers. He could cover their cost with fees from refining a single batch of Great Cultivator Spirit Pills and pocket some extra.
Master Liu Ziyun moved with impressive speed, showing up in under two hours.
Drawing from his expertise, as he drew near, he picked up traces of a Great Cultivator clash in the air.
His face froze briefly; if his detection held true, this fight had drawn in Peak Great Cultivators.
Next, he spotted Li Shiming, appearing quite battered with his robe torn to shreds.
Master Liu Ziyun’s heart ached at the sight of that elite fourth-grade top-quality Magical Treasure reduced to scraps.
Yet he quickly pondered something else—what level of devastation could shred a top-tier fourth-grade Magical Treasure so badly?
Li Shiming paid no heed to his robe’s state. Post-battle, his thoughts lingered on the recent clash, above all that devastating finger from the Half-step Great Power.
He sensed profound mysteries lurking in the core of that finger technique.
The robe held value, sure, but he owned plenty of top-tier fourth-grade ones; over years of fights via his doppelgänger Li Yuanba, he’d claimed ample spoils, including multiple such elite robes.
Exactly because robe damage didn’t faze him, his focus stayed locked on replaying the battle, blind to his own disarray.