Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1616 - 854: Consolidation (2)

With the impressive speed of the Thunder Beast, traveling between the Central State Continent and the Dongqi Continent takes a mere four to five days for a complete round trip.

As far as Li Shiming is concerned, the alchemy duties at the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion will hardly be impacted by simply jumping to the front of the queue.

Li Yuanba’s late-stage Golden Corpse is currently tasked with delivering the Great Cultivator Spirit Medicine to the "Phantom Clone," and the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion rests easy, knowing he has no desire to poach these precious supplies.

An Alchemy Master capable of crafting top-tier Great Cultivator Spirit Pills possesses a status that far outweighs the mere value of the ingredients themselves.

Having spent a full year in seclusion, Li Yuanba consumed a vast quantity of High-level Spirit Pills, a regimen that allowed him to solidify his realm with far greater efficiency than the average Great Cultivator.

Gradually, he fluttered his eyes open, focusing his inner senses on the Nascent Soul nestled within his Dantian.

At this moment, the presence of the Nascent Soul felt exceptionally keen; the "Sword Intent Rule Imprint" appeared significantly clearer than it had a year prior, while the "Chaos Sword Intent" permeated every fiber of his Nascent Soul.

While a typical Nascent Soul arises from the fusion of spiritual power and the mortal soul, a Sword Cultivator’s Nascent Soul is unique, containing an extra layer of solidified sword intent.

This distinct characteristic enables Sword Cultivators to amplify their sword intent’s destructive power without ever needing to summon a Nascent Soul Dharma Form.

With a simple flick of the wrist, a Sword Cultivator can unleash devastating energy, and if the "Sword Intent Rule Imprint" is merged into that intent, the total power is effectively doubled.

"Incredible!" he mused, quietly judging his own progression.

His strength stood in contrast to Li Shiming’s main body. Li Shiming focuses on the "Heavenly Human Technique," pursuing a balanced advancement in physical refinement, spiritual capacity, and mental spirit, even capable of diverting Thunder Cultivation and Sword Cultivation combat prowess through the unique shifts of "Chaotic Spiritual Power."

Li Yuanba’s power, conversely, is rooted entirely in pure sword cultivation; his flesh has been fundamentally reshaped by the "Chaos Sword Intent," and within just one year, his sword body successfully reached the Great Cultivator Realm.

At the Great Cultivator level, this sword body truly earns its title, transcending the basic principles of standard body refinement techniques.

A sword body at such a pinnacle allows the physical form to harmonize perfectly with the lethal sword intent flowing through the Meridians, making his formidable defense a natural byproduct of his cultivation.

Li Yuanba felt as if he had become a living flying sword—his body the razor-sharp edge, and the Nascent Soul the concentrated sword intent—perfectly synchronized into the ultimate weapon of a Sword Cultivator.

He was confident that if he were to face Li Shiming’s main body, his sword-based assault would prove even more daunting thanks to the absolute unity between his physical form and the Nascent Soul.

Of course, true battle output for Li Shiming’s main body goes far beyond simple Sword Cultivation, which is merely one of his many varied techniques.

What Li Yuanba requires most urgently now is active combat to acclimate himself to the ferocity of Great Cultivator-level sword duels, and to further hone his "Chaos Sword Intent."

The current potency of Li Shiming’s "Chaos Sword Intent" was forged precisely through Li Yuanba’s endless trials and the subsequent evolution of that intent.

Because Li Shiming rarely relies on sword techniques during real conflicts, his tactical understanding of the path of the sword is derived exclusively from Li Yuanba’s experiences.

The entire purpose of the clone’s creation was to shield the main body, willingly shouldering the hazards of professional combat.

After transmitting a communication signal, Li Yuanba waited only a short time before his master, Jian Wuwei, arrived at the cave dwelling.

Since ascending to the Nascent Soul Middle Stage, Jian Wuwei has begun taking on leadership responsibilities within the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion, refining his administrative talents.

As a core member of the Jian Family branch, the primary authority within the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion is historically reserved for the Sword Cultivators of this specific lineage.

Having learned this from Jian Wuwei before his seclusion, Li Yuanba found the perfect opening to discuss his alchemy arrangements.

"Master, you have arrived!" Li Yuanba greeted him warmly as he stepped inside.

He had already finished steeping a pot of Fourth Grade Spirit Tea, which reached its peak flavor just as Jian Wuwei crossed the threshold.

"Save some of that spirit tea for me, you rascal!" Jian Wuwei’s eyes lit up as he caught the intoxicating scent of the Fourth Grade Spirit Tea.

The fragrance was unmistakable; in the entire Cultivation World, only two individuals were known to distill such a blend: the elusive Li Shiming from the Beishu Continent and the skilled Li Shizhen from the Dongqi Continent.

Noting how the Ten Thousand Beast Sect recently established an alliance with the Beishu Sect—the very group born from the merger of the seven original Beishu powers—and knowing Li Shiming pulled the strings behind the Ten Thousand Beast Sect, the pieces began to fit.

These observations, combined with his knowledge of Li Shiming’s alchemical prowess, led Jian Wuwei to the near-certainty that Li Shiming and Li Shizhen were one and the same.

Seeing the portrait provided by the intelligence department only solidified his initial intuition.

The presence of this Fourth Grade Spirit Tea confirmed to Jian Wuwei that his own disciple held a direct connection to this legendary figure.

Considering Li Yuanba’s past friendship with Li Shiming during his time in the Beishu Continent, it made perfect sense that he would maintain ties with Li Shizhen as well.

"If you enjoy the taste, I have extra; please, take it all!" Li Yuanba said with a grin, sliding a jade box toward Jian Wuwei.

Jian Wuwei did not bother with false modesty; their master-disciple bond was forged in iron.

"Be honest with me, did you get Li Shizhen to brew these spirit pills for you?" Jian Wuwei inquired after savoring a slow swallow of the tea.

"Master, my own skills are certainly sufficient to produce high-grade Great Cultivator Spirit Pills; I simply lacked the free time, so I requested a small favor from Mr. Li," Li Yuanba replied with an open smile, keeping nothing back.

With that, he produced the bundle of Great Cultivator-grade spirit pills commissioned by the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion and offered them to his master.

"I suppose the way these geniuses interact is simply beyond my comprehension!" Jian Wuwei laughed, staring at the jade vials now resting on the table.

The Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion paid mere scraps for Li Yuanba’s production quotas, whereas obtaining similar results from Li Shiming would require a fortune in resources.

If not for the profound trust between Li Yuanba and Li Shiming, such a task would never have been accepted.

Furthermore, given that Li Shiming’s order list was currently backed up for over a decade, it was clear that Li Yuanba had pulled some serious strings to jump the line.

"Now that your realm is stable, you’ll need real combat to test it; luckily, the Pavilion has several assignments that are perfectly suited for you," Jian Wuwei stated, tucking the vials away.

"That is precisely what I had in mind!" Li Yuanba responded, still deep in thought about his upcoming training.

In many other organizations, deploying a master alchemist to the front lines would be considered madness.

Yet for the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion, Li Yuanba’s talents were multifaceted; his combat potential was just as lethal as his concoctions.

For any true devotee of the blade, relentless combat is the only way to facilitate true growth.

It is because of this philosophy that the members of the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion are so eager to seek out conflicts, earning them the nickname "sword maniacs" throughout the Cultivation World.

Once Jian Wuwei departed, Li Yuanba withdrew his Identity Jade Disc.

His access permissions had been recently upgraded; while he previously held authority equivalent to a Great Cultivator in terms of status, he now had full clearance for tasks specifically requiring that tier of power.

Upon accessing the database, the sheer volume of Great Cultivator-level tasks surprised him.

Scrolling through over ten high-priority assignments, he realized the extent of the current instability in the Cultivation World.

Most of the missions followed a recurring theme: the desperate acquisition and defense of resource nodes belonging to the Great Cultivator class.

Since these vital spots were always hotly contested, various factions went to great lengths to bury the locations of their assets to keep them hidden from prying eyes.