Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1581 - 837: Merger

"Canglong Sect?" Li Shiming reflected briefly, drawing a complete blank on any such sect.

Honestly, a group like that hardly deserved his focus, especially since he paid no mind to internal dealings in the Ten Thousand Beast Sect.

"Fine, you'll survive, and carry this message back: Without my permission, no power from the Dongqi Continent may step onto the Beishu Continent!" He pulled back part of his imposing aura and declared in a grave tone.

Xiao Lu sensed the overwhelming pressure lift from him, his body soaked through with perspiration, like he'd just brushed against the brink of demise.

"My lord, I'll depart the Beishu Continent immediately and proclaim your decree!" Freed from the hold, Xiao Lu bowed low in mid-air, his voice full of deference.

Next, he carefully half-rose, backing away gradually through the sky, wary of any gesture that could irk Li Shiming.

The seven Nascent Soul Early Stage experts pinned to the earth, plus Ancestor Ge and Ancestor Zhan far off, and even Ren Fei’er inside the cavern—all the watching cultivators stared in stunned horror at the display.

A Nascent Soul Middle Stage powerhouse, one that demanded the united might of Beishu Continent's sects to confront, acted as meek as a pup in Li Shiming's presence.

What struck hardest was Xiao Lu's use of "my lord" for Li Shiming, a phrase seldom heard in the Cultivation World.

Among ordinary folk, "my lord" might refer to a parent or serve as a title for an authority figure.

Within the Cultivation World, though, it only emerged when a huge gap in standing existed, marking deep humility toward the superior.

"Fan Ancestor, Elder Zuo, Ancestor Ling, Ancestor Lou, Elder Ran, Venerable Huike, Ancestor Lan, long time no see—I never imagined you'd greet me like this. You shattered Lan’er’s hundred years of cultivation; I was ready to overlook it for old ties, asking just for modest amends, but see what you've wrought!" Li Shiming gazed at each fallen ancestor, hailing them with his familiar old address.

His gaze brimmed with recollections, as many of these ancestors had battled by his side, raised toasts together, and a few were close companions beyond generational lines.

But for the lure of gain, they'd thrown every bond away.

"Li Shiming, I admit my error against you. Left Brother and I stand ready for your judgment, yet I implore you, recalling our shared history, spare the Shushan Sect's legacy!" Fan Ancestor begged.

Having felt Li Shiming’s true power firsthand, he grasped his past foolishness.

Li Shiming turned to Fan Ancestor, then surveyed the rest of the Nascent Soul Ancestors, his brow creasing as he weighed his options.

Slaying them posed no challenge, but afterward, he'd face the turmoil sweeping the Beishu Continent.

On a different landmass, such concerns wouldn't faze him. Hadn't he navigated far greater upheavals in his time?

Though the Shushan Sect had slighted him, it sheltered his master and comrades; the Senluo Sect too was home to the master of his clone—Li Yuanba—along with Jian Wuwei. Such ties demanded thought.

"From now on, the seven sects will merge into one, centered on the Thousand Illusion Sect’s mountain gate to form a fresh headquarters. Every cultivator who targeted Lan’er must go into seclusion right after the union!" Li Shiming announced his verdict at last.

His statement caused every Nascent Soul Ancestor to raise their heads, gazing at him with utter astonishment.

This approach safeguarded the sects’ legacies, yet it effectively erased their core identities after thousands of years.

Unsurprisingly, they resisted, including Ancestor Ge and Ancestor Zhan from the Thousand Illusion Sect, who opposed Li Shiming’s plan.

"Senior Li, doesn't this choice seem a tad..." Ancestor Ge started to argue, only to halt under Li Shiming’s piercing stare.

"This isn't up for debate—it's my proclamation. In the Cultivation World, power rules all. As a Great Cultivator, I claim command over every affair on the Beishu Continent!" Li Shiming stated icily.

With those words, he called forth five Late-stage Golden Corpses; as they materialized, their Great Cultivator auras flared, quelling any Nascent Soul cultivators tempted to protest.

"Mr. Ge, bring them along—they'll shift each mountain gate complete with its spirit veins!" He indicated Ancestor Ge and ordered.

Of everyone there, Ancestor Ge bore the least fault, so he received this assignment.

After issuing his commands, Li Shiming’s form faded away, the five Late-stage Golden Corpses remaining behind.

The five Late-stage Golden Corpses dialed back their auras, enabling all the Nascent Soul cultivators on site to act without restraint.

"Huike, is this the Nascent Soul Middle Stage you described?" Ancestor Lu rose, shouting at Venerable Huike.

His rage was justified; mistaking a Great Cultivator for just a Nascent Soul Middle Stage stemmed from Venerable Huike and Elder Li’s reports, prompting his reckless challenge.

No, challenge? He hadn't even qualified for that, barely deserving to appear in Li Shiming's sight.

Great Cultivators—that label, picked up from Canglong Sect dealings—acted as a revered title in the Cultivation World for Late-stage Nascent Soul experts.

Through the Canglong Sect, they'd learned a Great Cultivator's true stature: one who equaled scores of Nascent Soul Middle Stage foes, perched at the pinnacle of the Cultivation World with real dominance.

"How could I foresee a Golden Core Stage cultivator turning into a Great Cultivator after only a century off the Beishu Continent—do you think that's possible?" Venerable Huike, temper flaring, dropped his monastic poise and snapped back fiercely.

His retort hushed Ancestor Lu, who had to concede the point: Venerable Huike wasn't at fault, particularly since Elder Li had echoed the same judgment.