Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1397: 745: Return to the Sect

"Has anyone caught sight of the cultivators from the Infinite Sect, Central State Commerce, or the Beidou Sect? Have they not emerged yet?" Wu Qi scanned the practitioners who had already escaped and couldn't resist questioning them.

The gathered cultivators all shook their heads in ignorance, explaining that they had already moved away from the sea of flowers much earlier.

“They must have pushed deep into the grotto heaven; however, it is uncertain exactly how far they traveled!” Li Yuanba replied in a loud voice.

“This is a problem; the grotto heaven is on the verge of total collapse, and they may fail to exit in time!” Wu Qi noted, his gaze fixed on the violently shuddering space gate.

It was obvious to everyone that the stability of the space gate was failing. Should it be destroyed, any cultivators remaining inside would be trapped without an exit, even if they reached the portal's location.

They would be forced to face annihilation alongside the grotto heaven, leaving nothing behind.

“People are coming out!” Amidst Wu Qi’s words, the space gate pulsed with light, and someone shouted a warning.

The figure who appeared was Yin Chang, wrapped in a strange aura. Panic was etched into his features as he stumbled through the space gate back into the mortal world.

The peculiar energy surrounding Yin Chang was instantly recognized by many as the power triggered by a life-saving jade talisman.

To save his own skin, Yin Chang had activated his ultimate treasure, deserting his fellow Sect brothers to flee in solitude.

Nevertheless, no one present criticized him; when faced with the brink of death, choosing survival is considered the natural path of a cultivator.

The space gate continued to flicker, allowing several more practitioners to escape. All were core members who had utilized their life-saving jade talismans.

Among the survivors were Che Lian of the Infinite Sect and Chang Qing of the Beidou Sect. This made it clear that only the core disciples of the superpowers possessed such life-saving jade talismans; such precious resources were unavailable to common cultivators.

The space gate began to tremble even more fiercely just as a core practitioner from the Infinite Sect—perhaps hesitant to waste his jade talisman—attempted to cross too late.

He had only just begun his passage through the portal.

As his body was halfway through, a sharp snapping sound echoed, and the space gate abruptly imploded.

Though half of this core practitioner’s physical form had made it through, the remaining half vanished into nothingness as the gate collapsed.

Horrifically, the destruction claimed not only half of his physical shell but also sliced through half of his Nascent Soul.

This left him with no hope of even attempting a possession to survive. His mangled remains fell to the earth before the eyes of many stunned Nascent Soul middle-stage practitioners.

A heavy silence fell over the various Sects; no one spoke a word.

They realized that a single moment's delay would have resulted in the same gruesome end for them.

“Mr. Li, were you aware that the grotto heaven was destined to collapse?” Che Lian asked, glaring at Li Yuanba with eyes burning with resentment.

“Che Lian, what are you implying? Are you suggesting my Junior Brother saved the wrong people?” Wu Qi barked back before Li Yuanba could even open his mouth.

The sword cultivators of the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion, the ladies of the Luanyang Palace, the monks of the Da Leiyin Temple, and the former members of the Guiyuan and Feiyu Sects all turned their furious gazes toward Che Lian.

It seemed certain that if Che Lian uttered another insult, these cultivators would have torn him to pieces on the spot.

Even if some among them harbored secret grudges against Li Yuanba, they could not show it now; they were forced to stand in solidarity with the others.

Li Yuanba had just rescued them, and to bite the hand that saved them would utterly destroy their standing in the Cultivation World.

Che Lian was nearly blinded by fury; otherwise, he never would have made such a tactless blunder.

The Infinite Sect had suffered devastating losses this time, with only four core practitioners surviving and several vital members lost forever.

As the leader of this expedition, he had no idea how he would justify these casualties upon his return.

Furthermore, their dangerous trek into the depths of the grotto heaven had yielded zero rewards; they had seen only the golden path and the husks of broken puppets.

While puppet remains usually held some value, these had been crafted from the corpses of cultivators. Their essence had long since evaporated, leaving the scrap metal practically worthless.

In truth, every time the Great Cultivator sword puppet had manifested a flying sword, it had drained its own essence to forge it.

Having produced ten flying swords in succession, the puppet's essence was entirely spent, leaving nothing but trash behind.

When they had navigated the golden road, they found stairs ascending to a higher level, only to find a void at the top.

Ground markings suggested a massive structure had once stood there, but the building itself was gone.

Soon after, the tremors of the grotto heaven alerted them to its imminent destruction.

What truly enraged Che Lian was that he had risked his life in the depths of the grotto heaven only to come back empty-handed.

He would have been better off scavenging for basic resources in the first area like the other superpower disciples.

“My apologies, I was simply overwhelmed by the moment!” Che Lian conceded. Knowing that a wise man does not fight against impossible odds, he bowed his head in a swift apology.

Despite this, the other cultivators continued to look upon him with utter contempt.

He felt a deep sting of regret for his outburst, realizing it was a grave error to attack Li Yuanba at such a time.

Li Yuanba was the one who prevented them from being entombed in the collapsing grotto heaven.

The perils they faced during their exploration were no fault of Li Yuanba’s.

To insult Li Yuanba immediately after being saved was seen as the height of cowardice and dishonor in the Cultivation World.