Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1426: 759: Hell_2

Master Wu Ge served as the Great Cultivator representing the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion on Hell Island. Due to the increasing instability of the Hell Cave Heaven space in recent years, every superpower from the Central State Continent had stationed a Great Cultivator at this outpost.

“Li Yuanba offers his respects to Master Wu!” Li Yuanba said, bowing deeply in greeting.

Great Venerable Hongfa stood silently behind him, his posture making it clear that he was acting as Li Yuanba’s subordinate.

Master Wu Ge was somewhat taken aback. Although rumors of Li Yuanba taking Great Venerable Hongfa as a servant had reached his ears, witnessing the reality was a different matter entirely.

It was evident that Great Venerable Hongfa did not carry himself like a prisoner in chains; rather, he displayed a sense of genuine loyalty and followship.

“Great Venerable Hongfa, once we are on the island, it is best if you remain silent. Use sound transmission if you must communicate. There is no need for you to acknowledge the others!” Master Wu Ge advised before moving forward.

He guided Li Yuanba and Great Venerable Hongfa toward Hell Island. As they crossed through a protective formation shield, the environment underwent a startling transformation.

From a distance, Hell Island appeared to be merely a medium-sized landmass, but upon landing, one could see it was joined to a vast, seemingly endless expanse of land.

At the junction where the island met this mysterious land, several Great Cultivators and a multitude of Nascent Soul Middle Stage practitioners were locked in fierce combat.

The defending practitioners were shielded by powerful formations, allowing them to avoid direct contact with the Hell creatures. Instead, they focused on raining down their most devastating attacks from behind the safety of the barriers.

This was the first time Li Yuanba had laid eyes on these legendary Hell creatures. Their appearances were bizarre and varied; some possessed the heads of bulls or sheep, while others had the likeness of horses or deer. Despite their diverse heads, they all shared human-like torsos and legs ending in hooves.

“Do not be deceived by the current stalemate; we are currently draining the formation's energy reserves. If the consumption continues at this rate, even the primary formation protecting Hell Cave Heaven will be compromised!” Master Wu Ge explained, gesturing toward the battlefield.

The defensive array was capable of repelling Four-grade Mid-stage Hell Life forms. Upon arrival, Li Yuanba had already begun scrutinizing the runes with his ‘Divine Eye’.

He observed that the array system linked the entirety of Hell Island to the outer perimeter. Following Master Wu Ge’s explanation, he realized the gravity of the situation.

The Array Master responsible for Hell Island’s defenses was undoubtedly a genius. They had designed the great formation to encircle Hell Cave Heaven, cleverly siphoning energy from the cave heaven itself to power the defenses.

Furthermore, the formation was designed to funnel any Hell creatures that slipped through Hell Cave Heaven into the specific zone connecting to Hell Island, making it much easier for the cultivators to maintain a defensive line.

As long as the great formation on Hell Island held firm, guarding this single bottleneck would prevent the Hell creatures from spilling out into the wider world.

However, the current strain on the formation's energy was critical. If the energy was depleted and the formation collapsed, the creatures of Hell Cave Heaven would scatter uncontrollably into the surrounding oceans.

Should these creatures reach the open sea, hunting them down would be nearly impossible, as there were simply not enough cultivators to police such a vast area.

“That is enough talk of such matters. Come with me!” Master Wu Ge said, patting Li Yuanba’s head as he recalled the young man’s early arrival.

Hell Island was split into two distinct sectors. The first was a rugged area where ordinary cultivators resided in simple, hand-dug caves.

This front-line sector faced the breach between Hell Cave Heaven and the island; those living there were forced to fight Hell creatures just to survive.

The rear sector, however, was a complete contrast, isolated from the front by powerful formation barriers.

The back area was meticulously designed, featuring elegant gardens, bridges spanning over ponds, pavilions, and lush groves of trees.

Upon stepping into this area, Li Yuanba immediately noted the exceptionally dense spiritual energy in the air.

Had it not been for the faint, lingering radiation, this environment would have rivaled the mountain gates of the great superpowers as a prime location for cultivation.

Yet, as he looked around, he realized that every part of this beautiful landscape was tainted by that same radiation.

“This is my grotto; you may set the formation here,” Master Wu Ge said, pointing toward a cleared area near the entrance of his residence.

The space was protected by the grotto’s own sub-formation. Li Yuanba noticed the ground showed signs of recent clearing, and the soil was high-quality spirit soil.

It appeared that Master Wu Ge had sacrificed a spirit field to provide a flat surface for the array.

Li Yuanba gave a nod to Great Venerable Hongfa, who immediately set to work. Having spent the last two years traveling between continents to deploy Space Acceptance Arrays, the Great Venerable was now an expert at the task.

“Amitabha!” The sound of a Buddha’s name rang out. Li Yuanba spotted a Great Venerable standing just outside the grotto’s formation, hands pressed together in a prayerful gesture.

“Hongguang, this business does not concern you. We are occupied!” Master Wu Ge said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

“Hongfa, a long time has passed. Do you no longer recognize me?” Venerable Hongguang asked, completely ignoring Master Wu Ge to address the busy Great Venerable Hongfa.

Great Venerable Hongfa paused for only a fraction of a second before continuing his work. He did not look up, refusing to even acknowledge Hongguang with a glance.

“Hongguang, do you intend to violate our agreement?” Master Wu Ge’s eyes sharpened with a dangerous light as he spoke in a low, threatening tone.

“Master Wu, you misunderstand. This pact was established by the two masters; I would never dream of defying it. I merely spoke out of turn upon seeing an old friend!” Venerable Hongguang replied with a smile, clearly choosing not to provoke a confrontation.

He watched Great Venerable Hongfa intently, his eyes lingering on the specific components of the array being built.

The Space Acceptance Array had become renowned throughout the Cultivation World, and it was now certain that Great Venerable Hongfa was the one installing them.

While the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion claimed Li Yuanba had invented the array, Hongguang—as a Great Venerable of Da Leiyin Temple—was well-acquainted with the spatial research his temple had conducted for centuries.

He found it impossible to believe that a youth like Li Yuanba could outshine the collective wisdom of Da Leiyin Temple’s Space Venerables. In his mind, it was far more likely that Hongfa had achieved a breakthrough in spatial laws, resulting in this superior version of the array.

He harbored a secret hope of coaxing Great Venerable Hongfa back to the temple, which would effectively bring the secrets of the new array back to Da Leiyin Temple.

However, Hongfa’s cold refusal to even make eye contact made it impossible to gauge his thoughts or attempt any persuasion.

“So, you are Li Yuanba. Your fame has reached even this remote place,” Venerable Hongguang said, shifting his focus to the young man.

His tone was deceptively mild, but Li Yuanba could feel the underlying coldness and malice in the words.

“Greetings, Great Venerable Hongguang,” Li Yuanba replied with a smile, bowing politely. He felt no fear toward the monk.

While he didn't know Hongguang's specific techniques, the aura the man projected suggested his strength was unremarkable for his rank. Li Yuanba felt he could handle the threat if he fought with everything he had.

Against such a foe, Great Venerable Hongfa’s ‘Chaos Sword Intent’ might not be enough to turn the tide, and Li Yuanba might be forced to rely on his superior speed to escape if a true fight broke out.

Regardless, Li Yuanba did not view Hongguang as a significant obstacle.

“The so-called number one genius of the Nascent Soul Middle Stage… we shall see how you fare against the horrors of Hell Cave Heaven. I hope you do not disappoint us,” Venerable Hongguang said, his face fixed in a hollow smile.