Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1414: 753: Pursuit (Part 2)

The defensive array of the Little Lei Yin Temple successfully obstructed the striking Xingyi Sword. Upon witnessing this, Li Yuanba signaled with his hand, causing the blade to whistle back to his side.

In the brief exchange with Grand Monk Hongfa, it was clear that the monk had been severely disadvantaged. By retreating behind the temple's protective formation, Hongfa had essentially conceded the bout.

In truth, had Grand Monk Hongfa possessed the fighting spirit, he could have utilized his own magical treasures to retaliate instead of seeking sanctuary.

“You are Li Yuanba!” Grand Monk Hongfa’s expression shifted, becoming remarkably strained. This look stripped away his serene Buddhist composure, replacing it with the raw emotions of a common man.

At this moment, it was impossible for Grand Monk Hongfa not to identify the youthful Sword Cultivator before him.

Li Yuanba’s fame had skyrocketed recently, largely due to his feat of killing Master Ge Guang. This achievement had cemented his reputation as the undisputed number one among Nascent Soul Middle Stage cultivators.

This title of being the top expert in the Nascent Soul Middle Stage within the Cultivation World was a fact recognized by every major superpower.

Since Grand Monk Hongfa was stationed at this Little Lei Yin Temple, it was evident he was not considered a vital Great Venerable.

His combat skills were average at best, and he lacked a warrior's instinct; his breakthrough to the rank of Venerable had been largely a matter of fortune.

Such cases were common in the Cultivation World; many Great Cultivators among Loose Cultivators achieved their status through sheer luck.

The odds of successfully ascending to Great Cultivator are roughly one in dozens. To succeed on the first try is often viewed as miraculous luck, yet it happens occasionally given the sheer volume of practitioners.

Conversely, many core disciples of major sects fail despite having access to rare resources that boost their success rates to one in ten or even one in five, leaving many to wonder at the unfairness of fate.

Following his ascension to Venerable, Grand Monk Hongfa’s combat prowess never truly evolved. Even after centuries of Cultivation, he remained at the level of an ordinary Great Cultivator.

In this context, "ordinary" referred to those without the backing or resources of a superpower.

However, Grand Monk Hongfa actually had access to decent resources; the Da Leiyin Temple did not deprive him just because he was weak in battle.

Being self-aware, he had requested to manage the Little Lei Yin Temple, taking charge of a territory far removed from the central Da Leiyin Temple.

This secluded location allowed him to avoid the sect's internal conflicts and focus on his Buddhist practices and quiet Cultivation.

Though he was no warrior, his origins in the Da Leiyin Temple granted him a certain level of insight.

The overwhelming force behind Li Yuanba’s single strike had immediately triggered his instinct to flee. Once he recognized the attacker's identity, he did not hesitate to pull back from the front lines.

“Does the Venerable Master intend to hide behind the Little Lei Yin Temple’s formation to fight me?” Li Yuanba asked in a low, skeptical tone, surprised by the monk's behavior.

That initial clash had revealed something unusual about Grand Monk Hongfa.

The monk's fighting ability was surprisingly low, barely exceeding that of Great Cultivator Luo Pei—and that was assuming Luo Pei didn't have the Spiritual Treasure Black Water Sword.

Li Yuanba wondered how the Da Leiyin Temple could produce such a Venerable. He assumed that even if a person was just fed resources, they should have developed stronger combat capabilities.

“Benefactor Li Yuanba, do not push your luck; you are openly antagonizing the Da Leiyin Temple!” Grand Monk Hongfa bellowed, his face flushed with anger.

However, because he was shouting from behind the safety of the formation, his threats lacked any real weight.

Li Yuanba felt a headache coming on. What kind of Venerable was this? If the monk had agreed to a proper duel, Li Yuanba might have used his ‘Chaos Sword Intent’ to deal a crippling blow.

With Hongfa burrowed inside the array, even if Li Yuanba could shatter the barrier, he would have to remain vigilant against counterattacks, creating a difficult situation.

Even if Hongfa seemed weak, his strikes could still be lethal.

Li Yuanba could not afford to take a direct hit. His confidence against Great Cultivator-level enemies relied on his two spiritual treasures and his ‘Chaos Sword Intent’.

If the temple's formation absorbed Li Yuanba's energy, providing Hongfa an opening to strike, Li Yuanba would be in grave peril.

His physical defenses were not built to tank a Venerable. Regardless of how unskilled a Venerable might be, their output was still at the Great Cultivator level, enough to instantly bypass Li Yuanba’s protections.

He thrived in mobile combat, using tactics to ensure Great Cultivators never had the chance to land a blow.

He gave Grand Monk Hongfa a piercing look before his silhouette blurred. He began to flicker through the air, moving further away as the monk watched.

Watching Li Yuanba depart, Grand Monk Hongfa let out a long, shaky breath of relief.

Once back inside the temple, the monk sought out Bai Yong—also known by his dharma name Ming Fa—the intelligence operative who had taken a secular alias.

Ming Fa was dressed as an everyday cultivator. Only a handful of Venerables at the Da Leiyin Temple knew his true monastic name; he usually operated as Bai Yong.

“My thanks to you, Grand Monk Hongfa!” Ming Fa said, bowing deeply with his hands pressed together.

While Ming Fa appeared respectful, his internal thoughts were quite different. As an intelligence officer, he had carefully observed the brief clash between the monk and Li Yuanba.

He was stunned by Li Yuanba’s might, seeing him force a Venerable into retreat with a single blow. He was simultaneously impressed by the Sword Cultivator and disappointed by Hongfa’s lack of strength.

He knew the monk wasn't a fighter, but he hadn't realized the gap was this wide.

“What are your next steps?” Grand Monk Hongfa asked, eyeing the man who had brought this trouble to his doorstep.

It was a clear hint for Ming Fa to leave, as the monk didn't want him staying any longer than necessary.

“I will stay for one night to recover, then I shall depart!” Ming Fa replied. He understood the hint, but he needed the rest.

Leaving immediately would be suicide, as he would likely run straight into Li Yuanba.

He had used a teleportation talisman to reach the temple, yet Li Yuanba had still tracked him down with incredible speed.

He was certain that Li Yuanba possessed some form of advanced tracking Secret Technique.

His plan was to wait until the next day. He had already sent word to the main temple. If Li Yuanba stayed, the young man would have to face two Venerables tomorrow.

“Fine, then,” Grand Monk Hongfa agreed. He couldn't flatly kick Ming Fa out; they were both members of the Da Leiyin Temple, and such a move would be impossible to explain to their superiors.

Ming Fa bowed and went to his quarters, while Grand Monk Hongfa closed his eyes to resume his Buddhist chants.

Meanwhile, Li Yuanba sat in meditation with his eyes closed. He hadn't just been talking during his confrontation at the temple gates.

He had activated ‘Divine Sight’ to scan the temple's formation, feeding the data to IBMz15 for a full structural analysis.

The Little Lei Yin Temple’s array was nearly as strong as a major sect's, missing only a Cave Heaven Space barrier. This meant its ultimate defensive capacity was inferior to a true sect's mountain gate.

The absence of that specific space barrier gave Li Yuanba an opening he could exploit.

He also thought about Grand Monk Hongfa. He had met many Great Cultivators, but none as cowardly as this one.

Still, he recognized that this was the reality of the Cultivation World.

Usually, the Great Cultivators he met were those on active duty—the warriors of the sects.

Aside from his main body, Li Shiming, meeting the occasional Independent Cultivator during his travels, most of them stayed hidden from the public eye.

These weaker Great Cultivators lived in fear of being targeted by the elite Nascent Soul Middle Stage disciples of superpowers, who would use them as "stepping stones" to build their own legends.

To be honest, if Hongfa wasn't protecting his target, Li Yuanba wouldn't have bothered with him.

However, there was another incentive: he wanted to study the Space Acceptance Array within the temple. Its design held massive research value for his future growth.