Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1502 - 797: Deal (Part 2)

Liu Ziyun edged nearer to the Long-distance Caravan, his face growing ever more strained.

Through his senses, the caravan radiated the presence of two Great Cultivators, yet those presences didn't match any from Central State Commerce.

This suggested that two Great Cultivators had seized the Long-distance Caravan, even though the escort for five Long-distance Flying Boats should have involved just two such experts.

Both Great Cultivator Qian Yi and Cultivator Lu possessed fighting prowess that ranked high among Great Cultivators, by no means inferior to Liu Ziyun's own.

Had the destination of those five Long-distance Flying Boats not been so obvious—Dongqi Continent—Liu Ziyun might have simply wheeled about and run.

Since he was posted in Dongqi Continent, with the five flying boats heading straight there, he had to uncover the identities of those who plundered Central State Commerce's caravan.

He layered up multiple defenses around himself and readied for a swift getaway.

"Mr. Liu, long time no see!" A voice Liu Ziyun recognized rang out from the lead Long-distance Flying Boat.

Spotting Li Shiming on the deck, his features twisted in shock.

"Li Shizhen, so it's you!" Liu Ziyun gave a wry shake of his head and responded.

Though he'd once viewed Li Shizhen as a prodigy, Liu Ziyun hadn't foreseen his rival's dramatic return after so many years in this fashion.

"Betrayed by the top brass at Central State Continent headquarters, I hid away for decades until I broke through to Great Cultivator and felt safe to show my face!" Li Shiming declared, a trace of bitterness in his tone.

"Central State Commerce spans too much ground with countless groups inside; shortsighted fools are bound to crop up!" At a loss for words, Liu Ziyun offered this feeble justification.

He harbored no desire to clash with Li Shiming, especially with the aura of yet another Great Cultivator lingering near the caravan.

The caravan's survival in Li Shiming's grasp without damage showed his power to overpower typical Great Cultivators.

"What are your intentions now?" Liu Ziyun pressed on.

He steered clear of the caravan topic on purpose, despite the five Long-distance Flying Boats sitting there with Central State Commerce's clear markings.

"I'm heading to the Ten Thousand Beast Sect first, then wandering around for a while!" Li Shiming answered, mixing truth with vagueness.

"Things at Ten Thousand Beast Sect look rough; Luanyang Palace lacks extra hands, and the other three sects backed by Yuqing Sect and White Emperor Sect are squeezing Ten Thousand Beast Sect hard!" Liu Ziyun, hearing the sect's name, shared the latest developments.

"Looks like I've dragged the sect down!" Li Shiming remarked casually.

During his words, a flash of murderous intent gleamed in his gaze.

Confronting Li Shiming, Liu Ziyun shivered with dread, like facing a monstrous horror, echoing his initial encounters with Master Wang He and Great Cultivator Yan Gao.

Wang He and Great Cultivator Yan Gao stood at the pinnacle of Great Cultivators, the pinnacle warriors of the Nascent Soul Stage.

"Thanks, Mr. Liu. On the journey back, those two Great Cultivators from Central State Commerce tried to rob me, so I slew them and claimed these five Long-distance Flying Boats. I figure my actions make sense, and you can report it all to them, Mr. Liu!" Li Shiming dipped his head to Liu Ziyun in thanks while detailing how he'd come by the flying boats.

Whether Central State Commerce bought the story or not didn't faze him.

He cared little for whatever stance Central State Commerce might take next.

In the coming times, he aimed to explore widely by journeying, rather than holing up in a Grotto Heaven for closed-door Cultivation.

"I'll relay the details to headquarters; hopefully they opt for peace with you!" Liu Ziyun replied with a bitter grin.

He realized the odds were slim; losing two Great Cultivators was a hit Central State Commerce wouldn't swallow lightly.

"Fingers crossed!" Li Shiming gave a subtle smile and said.

"What will you do with the five Long-distance Flying Boats?" Liu Ziyun pondered briefly before inquiring.

"I'll offload all the cargo; the flying boats themselves, I'm mulling over!" Li Shiming answered forthrightly, holding nothing back.

Liu Ziyun held strong ties across Dongqi Continent, particularly in trade networks—such a huge shipment would catch his eye anyway, so bluntness served better.

"Dumping the cargo poses no trouble; plenty of businesses would take it. But those Long-distance Flying Boats, stamped with Central State Commerce's unique design—no outfit would risk buying them!" Liu Ziyun shook his head as he spoke.

"Got any suggestions, Mr. Liu?" Li Shiming eyed Liu Ziyun, catching the hint, and queried with a grin.

"I can take those five Long-distance Flying Boats off your hands!" Liu Ziyun laid out his proposal.

Li Shiming felt genuinely surprised; he appraised Liu Ziyun anew, as if seeing him afresh.

These five Long-distance Flying Boats held enormous worth; as super-sized vessels, even a giant like Central State Commerce owned only a handful.

Vessels this grand built up over ages; forging one super-large flying boat alone demanded more than fifty years, and solely expert shipwrights could handle it.

Even with a master shipwright on board and full materials for five, the entire build would stretch beyond two centuries.

"It's not for me personally; my group inside the commerce will acquire them. Securing these five flying boats would boost our position greatly in Central State Commerce, helping both me and the group!" Liu Ziyun elaborated.

Li Shiming got it; during his days at Central State Commerce's core, his rank had been low, curbing elite contacts. Still, rumors of deep internal divisions there had reached him.

This wasn't exclusive to Central State Commerce; most ancient powers grappled with the same fractures.

"Alright, how do you intend to handle the deal?" Li Shiming consented without much delay.

"What do you want in exchange, Mr. Li? I'll arrange it through commerce channels, so long as it equals the value of the five flying boats!" Liu Ziyun skipped over Spirit Stones, countering directly.

From past dealings with Li Shiming, Liu Ziyun knew a top-tier Alchemy Master like him rarely wanted for rare Spiritual Objects.

Beyond Cultivation supplies, Spirit Pills an Alchemy Master stockpiled covered their needs amply.

For other Spiritual Objects, each refining session brought payment, with clients sourcing whatever materials were required.

Thus, letting Li Shiming name his terms worked best, since Central State Commerce blanketed the Cultivation World—if it could be found, they could fetch it.

Li Shiming paused in reflection, finding himself short on nothing apparent.

Seizing the five Long-distance Flying Boats wasn't about squandering their value; it was a straightforward path to sudden riches.

"I want as many Late Stage Fourth Grade resources from the Phoenix Clan and Dragon Clan as you can gather; if the five flying boats fall short, throw in the cargo too!" Li Shiming eventually recalled the Spiritual Objects he needed and voiced his demand.

Hearing this, Liu Ziyun pieced together the purpose of those resources.

Li Shiming had claimed a Red Gold Phoenix Spirit Pet from Ten Thousand Beast Sect, and apparently owned a dragon-kind spirit pet as well. Evidently, he meant to propel both Spirit Pets to Late Stage Fourth Grade.

A twinge of jealousy hit Liu Ziyun for those two Spirit Pets; even fellow Great Cultivators with such companions seldom shelled out so heavily just for their beasts' advancement.

Usually, Great Cultivators scraped by on their own Cultivation resources—putting self first came naturally.

"That works, but it'll take a minimum of eight months, better yet a full year!" Liu Ziyun calculated and responded.

"Let's draw up a contract; you can have the five flying boats and cargo right away!" Li Shiming, weary of hauling five flying boats around, proposed.