Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1590 - 841: Forming the Nascent Soul (2)

Li Shiming spotted the cultivators drawing near and signaled with his hand for the five late-stage Golden Corpses to withdraw, since protection was no longer necessary.

"Congratulations, my lord; Yin Fairy has now stepped onto the Nascent Soul path. From this day forward, may your affection grow ever deeper and walk beside you on the road to immortality!" Patriarch Ge moved ahead, offered a bow, and extended his felicitations.

She avoided calling Yin Shilan her disciple. Despite the past teacher-student tie, a century of detachment had completely dissolved that connection.

Furthermore, Yin Shilan’s position within the Beishu Sect, while not formally stated, was acknowledged by all as ranking just below Li Shiming.

"Lan’er achieved Nascent Soul formation today—it’s cause for joyous festivity! Every cultivator in the Beishu Sect shall receive a full year’s equivalent in matching contribution points as a reward!" Li Shiming declared, his face beaming with delight as he swept his hand after listening to Patriarch Ge’s words.

The Beishu Sect lacked a formal salary system, yet it adhered to the Cultivation World’s standard framework for compensating its affiliates.

Annually, affiliates merely had to fulfill basic duties to earn their standard contribution points.

The reward Li Shiming bestowed matched the annual base contribution points for all Beishu Sect cultivators, scaled to their respective ranks.

This amounted to a substantial sum. Following the union of the seven sects, the Beishu Sect’s cultivator count had swelled to an impressive scale.

Still, Li Shiming remained unconcerned. Such costs meant little to him, particularly now that the Beishu Sect had allied with the Ten Thousand Beast Sect; a handful of trades would easily cover this generosity.

"Shiming, speaking for the sect’s cultivators, I express our gratitude!" Sect Master Su remarked with a grin.

Within the entire Beishu Sect, only Sect Master Su—Li Shiming’s own teacher—possessed the right to speak to him in that manner.

Upon assuming the role of Sect Master for the Beishu Sect, Li Shiming was delighted to observe Sect Master Su’s vitality renewed. In this condition, his master might endure several more years, possibly outlasting his tenure as leader.

He had initially worried that the sect master duties could harm his master’s well-being.

Observing Sect Master Su’s present vigor, Li Shiming chose to hold back any questions. Evidently, the leadership role agreed splendidly with his teacher.

As Li Shiming’s proclamation circulated, jubilant shouts resounded across the sect.

Li Shiming noted that Yin Shilan’s heavenly gifts had concluded, gave a nod to the assembled cultivators, and proceeded to stand beside Yin Shilan.

"At last, I can remain at your side forever!" Yin Shilan uttered first upon spotting Li Shiming, her voice brimming with bliss.

For her, the supreme boon of reaching the Nascent Soul Stage lay in this very opportunity: to journey alongside Li Shiming through endless ages.

"I’ve beheld endless seas, majestic mountains, dawn breaking over misty clouds, vibrant marine life beneath the waves, flowers that never fade, and the marvels of existence. I long to share them all with you, and I’ll guide you to witness the realms I’ve explored!" Li Shiming expressed tenderly.

Li Shiming extended his hand, and Yin Shilan slipped hers into it, their fingers intertwining firmly.

No words passed between them, yet both harbored the identical longing: henceforth, they would stay inseparable, with nothing in the world— not even eventual death—able to divide them.

Given that Yin Shilan had only just broken through and remained in her most vulnerable phase, Li Shiming gave brief directives to the others before escorting her back to the Heavenly Person Cave Heaven.

On this occasion, the arrays encircling the Great Power Palace were dismantled, for Nascent Soul Stage Yin Shilan could now endure the intense Spiritual Energy of the area.

"Accept this as my present to you!" Li Shiming produced a soul crystal ring and presented it to Yin Shilan.

"It’s the Land Turtle Shell!" After recognizing the soul crystal ring as her own, Yin Shilan directed her Divine Sense inside. Ignoring the rest for the moment, she withdrew a turtle shell shield and cried out in delight.

This Land Turtle Shell carried deep significance for the pair; Yin Shilan never imagined Li Shiming would preserve it to this day.

This magical artifact, fashioned during the Early-stage Qi Refining era, marked their initial joint creation—a fusion of an Array Plate with a Magic Artifact, achieved under Yin Shilan’s instruction in array methods to Li Shiming.

Their bond originated with the Land Turtle Shell.

The Land Turtle Shell now in Yin Shilan’s grasp featured numerous extra formation patterns.

"Through the years, my mastery of Formations has advanced greatly, but I still can’t embed a fourth-grade array into the Land Turtle Shell. The best I’ve managed is third-grade. Maybe as my grasp of the rules improves, I could elevate it to a superior Array Plate!" Li Shiming remarked, gazing at the Land Turtle Shell with a touch of disappointment.

Long in the past, he had envisioned delighting Yin Shilan by reforging the Land Turtle Shell into an extraordinary item.

After extensive research over time, he ranked himself among the elite in formation and artifact forging disciplines across the Cultivation World.

Nevertheless, even with his expertise, he failed to elevate the lowly first-grade Land Turtle Shell into a formidable treasure.

"Shiming, this gift delights me more than any other!" Yin Shilan declared, clutching the Land Turtle Shell with affection and evident pleasure.

During this past century, she hadn’t idled away; her studies in formations had elevated her to Array Master status.

This insight let her appreciate the profound worth hidden in that modest first-grade Land Turtle Shell.

Etching a third-grade array onto a first-grade Land Turtle Shell, thereby compelling its grade to rise to third, posed difficulties beyond imagination.

Should she unravel the formations within the Land Turtle Shell, it would propel her formation expertise to new heights.

Beyond that, and most importantly, Li Shiming’s dedication to the Land Turtle Shell revealed his profound regard for it—and for her—which truly sparked Yin Shilan’s happiness.

"Examine the other treasures; I assembled them with utmost care!" Li Shiming prompted with mild exasperation, surprised that the Land Turtle Shell topped Yin Shilan’s preferences.

Yin Shilan laughed softly, then swept her Divine Sense into the soul crystal ring once more to pull out a shrunken flying boat.

"This one captivates me as well!" She announced smilingly, cradling the diminutive flying boat.

Naturally, it enchanted her—not merely for its status as a Fourth Grade Upper Stage Flying Boat of extraordinary worth, but also because its sleek, lush green wooden form echoed the vessel she had sailed on during their fateful first encounter.

As for this Fourth Grade Upper Stage Flying Boat, Li Shiming had clearly designed it with intent and invested considerable effort.

"Superior flying boats exist, to be sure, though they carry certain complications!" Li Shiming commented offhandedly, pleased by her reaction.

Yin Shilan stayed silent, but rumors of the perils Li Shiming had braved had reached her ears.

Regardless of her limited knowledge of the Cultivation World, she grasped the enormous gap between a pinnacle fourth-grade magical treasure and a fourth-grade top flying boat.

The craftsmanship and resources needed for a flying boat far surpassed those for a magical treasure; the disparity in value loomed even larger.

Even mighty Great Cultivator Li Shiming refrained from deploying a fourth-grade top flying boat, beset by complexities she could scarcely fathom.

She chose not to voice sentiments that might sour their elation in this moment of cheer, instead drawing forth a feminine magic robe from the soul crystal ring.

This pinnacle fourth-grade feminine magic robe, upon mastery, unveiled a fixed Great Cultivator Level Defense Magic. In the face of assault, the robe would trigger this protective spell to shield her instinctively.

Furthermore, the feminine magic robe’s style could shift on command; any pattern she desired would manifest seamlessly.

"I came upon this robe fortuitously. Its fabric is exceedingly scarce, and considering your present cultivation, I left it unrefined!" Li Shiming elaborated.

"Should I reach Great Cultivator Level, I won’t require a new robe in any case!" Yin Shilan responded, shaking her head and smiling.

Lacking Li Shiming’s broad encounters, she viewed a pinnacle fourth-grade robe as the finest available to Nascent Soul Stage experts.

Materials for pinnacle fourth-grade robes were largely monopolized by grand powers; Li Shiming owned plenty of robes already, so sourcing special fabrics hadn’t crossed his mind.

In reality, he hadn’t intended to furnish Yin Shilan with a spirit treasure grade robe. Since robes draw public eyes, such a conspicuous item might not benefit her safety.