Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1618 - 855: Mission_2

Li Yuanba found himself forced to resort to his fallback strategy. The mirror served as a visual interface for an internal drone satellite link, constructed through advanced Artifact Refining methodologies.

Refining his craft over a century, Li Shiming achieved remarkable breakthroughs by merging the technological principles of his past existence with the practice of Cultivation.

Leveraging his access to rare materials and his refined Artifact Refining mastery, he has succeeded in replicating numerous functions from his previous life using the tools of Cultivation.

The device currently in Li Yuanba’s grasp is a prime example of this synthesis, standing as a reconstructed and enhanced evolution of his earlier 'Thousand-Mile Mutual View' project. Rather than its original communication purpose, he repurposed it into a dedicated surveillance terminal.

Though a fresh generation of drone satellites is slated for imminent launch, the project currently sits in a holding pattern while Li Shiming finds a window in his schedule to oversee their manufacture.

While the design process reached fruition long ago, Li Shiming’s dedication to his own Cultivation, combined with the primary allocation of his lab space toward Alchemy and Artifact Refining, left him with zero overhead to construct these new assets.

The latest chip generation boasts a 0.05-nanometer nanostructure, utilizing the IBMz15 as its blueprint to deliver computing speeds that vastly outpace anything from the technology of his past life.

Were the IBMz15 not already bonded to Li Shiming as a life-bound magical artifact—effectively operating as a pure energy system liberated from the thermal and precision constraints of physical hardware—these 0.05-nanometer chips would have been capable of replacing all 190 of the IBMz15's core units.

Utilizing his drone satellite network, Li Yuanba began his surveillance of the Great Cultivator resource point.

The feed indicated that a contingent of at least nine Great Cultivators had arrived, with the silver lining being the fortunate absence of any Peak Great Cultivators.

Naturally, the genuine headcount was surely higher, as the drone satellites struggled to track individuals embedded within the concealment of the resource point's defensive Formation.

With several days buffer remaining, the potential for further arrivals of Great Cultivators remained high.

Comparing his findings to the intel provided by the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion, there was a negligible discrepancy of only one or two individuals, a testament to the robust intelligence-gathering prowess of that Sect.

Li Yuanba stowed the mirror, and after a few hours, he drew near to the zone where the Great Cultivator resources were held.

Instead of making a hasty approach, he opted for a concealed location to ingest a High-level Spirit Pill, aiming to replenish the Spiritual Power Pattern within his Meridians.

Once he felt his strength fully replenished, he transitioned into his Sword Escape to advance toward the site.

“Another one approaches; it appears to be a Sword Cultivator, though I cannot discern their identity,” one of the Great Cultivators remarked anxiously, tracking the brilliant flash of the oncoming Sword Escape light.

“That is clearly not Jian Tianyi. The aura radiating from this Sword Cultivator is quite thin, suggesting their strength is hardly a threat!” a second Great Cultivator replied with a dismissive, relieved laugh.

However, the casual atmosphere vanished the moment Li Yuanba halted his Sword Escape. Recognition rippled through the group, followed by a chorus of shocked intakes of breath as they realized who stood before them.

During their encounter in the Hell Cave Heaven, Li Yuanba had made an indelible impression, putting his raw combat prowess on display for all present.

Back then, he was only at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage, but he had since ascended to the level of a Great Cultivator Sword Cultivator.

“Ah, it is Mr. Li. My sincere congratulations on reaching the Great Cultivator realm. Why was there never any news regarding such a significant milestone?” a high-ranking Great Cultivator queried with a polite bow.

“Greetings, Mr. Sun, it has been a long time. Greetings to everyone else as well!” Li Yuanba returned the gesture, maintaining a polite smile.

He chose to overlook the few Great Cultivators whose faces darkened upon his arrival, greeting them with equal friendliness.

Every soul gathered here shared the same objective: the plunder of Great Cultivator resources. Once the defensive Formation surrounding the site was shattered and they breached the perimeter, they would instantly transform from peers into lethal rivals.

Even the courteous Mr. Sun would eventually turn his blade toward Li Yuanba without hesitation should the circumstances demand it.

Li Yuanba noted with interest that the vast majority of those present belonged to various superpowers, with two individuals hailing from major Sects.

“Mr. Sun, is there a particular reason why no Great Cultivators from beyond the continent have joined us?” Li Yuanba inquired, settling into a spot situated near the Great Cultivator Sun.

This particular individual, hailing from the Guiyuan Sect, was someone with whom he had shared a reasonably amicable interaction during their time in the Hell Cave Heaven.

“The maturity cycle for resource points on the Central State Continent is not widely known outside these borders. I suspect that by the next cycle, we will see a much larger contingent of outsiders vying for these spoils!” Great Cultivator Sun answered, his expression pleasant.

Li Yuanba merely shook his head; he knew by the time the next cycle arrived, the current batch of resources would be long gone, and the replenishment process would take no less than a century.

He found it highly implausible that such an intensity of chaotic looting could be sustained for over a hundred years.

Once his true body had reached the desired threshold of compiled Great Cultivator resources, the urgency for large-scale Alchemy would diminish significantly.

In reality, Li Shiming was masterfully leveraging the entire Cultivation World’s Great Cultivator resource ecosystem to foster the rapid development of both his true biological body and his clone.

To the casual observer, the various powers and Great Cultivators appeared to be reaping considerable gains, yet the ultimate beneficiary of this cycle remained Li Shiming himself.

For every single furnace of Great Cultivator Spirit Pills he processed, an alchemist of his standing could retain two, and by invoking the 'Hundred One-point Pill Technique', Li Shiming could walk away with four High-level Spirit Pills.

With such a consistent influx of medicinal resources, Li Shiming could allocate his primary attention to crafting, utilizing the excess spirit herbs to refine top-tier Great Cultivator Spirit Pills for his personal advancement.

In truth, several figures within the Cultivation World had caught on to Li Shiming’s overall strategy, though they lacked the vision to guess he was doubling his pill yields. Nevertheless, the combination of standard Alchemy commissions and the single Spirit Pill fee typically reserved for a Master of his rank meant his profit margins were staggering.

Yet, given Li Shiming’s terrifying dominance, no organization possessed the courage to challenge him.

This state of affairs was maintained by his blood-soaked reputation, verified by the remains of two Peak Great Cultivators who had fallen to his blade.

Li Yuanba turned his gaze toward the resource point guarded by the Infinite Sect, where the defensive Formation had long since been locked into its maximum defensive state.

He engaged his 'Divine Foot Skill' to meticulously scan the spiritual lines of the Formation, funneling the data instantly to Li Shiming’s true body. There, aided by the IBMz15, the structural weaknesses of the barrier were deconstructed.

Before long, a detailed map of the Formation took shape in his consciousness, clearly highlighting every critical vulnerability and potential breach method.

By targeting even a single minor flaw, he could utilize Space Movement to bypass the gates and step directly inside.

The Infinite Sect, being a newly established superpower, suffered from a profound lack of historical heritage.

To his trained eye, the defensive Formation safeguarding this site was riddled with simplistic oversights.

Having witnessed the defensive hardware of numerous other superpowers, he found the standard of this particular Formation to be remarkably subpar.

Of course, this assessment was also bolstered by his own promotion to the Great Cultivator realm, which had significantly empowered the IBMz15, allowing for deeper mathematical analysis and much higher efficiency in cracking advanced barriers.

Li Yuanba ceased his observations, choosing to close his eyes and sink into a meditative rest.

Great Cultivator Sun threw a cautious glance in his direction before quietly rising and relocating to a post at a significantly greater distance.

One could hardly fault him; being in such close proximity to Li Yuanba had been unbearable. The persistent Sword Intent radiating from the younger man had triggered a constant state of internal duress.

Even with Li Yuanba having stabilized his realm, his mastery over his own burgeoning power remained incomplete.

The 'Chaos Sword Intent' he emitted unconsciously grew more potent with his promotion to the Great Cultivator level, and the influence of the 'Sword Intent Rule Imprint' had left his natural suppression of his own aura noticeably strained.

He required time to harmonize not just with his new Sword Intent, but also with the physical composition of his sword body. That body itself acted as a conduit, leaking the volatile aura of 'Chaos Sword Intent' into the immediate atmosphere.

These were involuntary fluctuations, which would surely dissipate as his mastery deepened over time.

Great Cultivators of truly refined cultivation could, at will, retract their presence. In contrast, Li Yuanba currently resembled a newly forged blade, unsheathed and constantly projecting the jagged, dangerous edge of his intent.

Only through rigorous long-term honing would this external sharpness eventually retreat inward, further concentrating his lethality and potential.

Although the remaining Great Cultivators had kept their distance, even they were not immune to the faint, pressurized sensations of the 'Chaos Sword Intent,' which effectively dampened their desire to engage in idle social discourse.