Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1520 - 806: Offense and Defense (Part 2)

Taichu Sect, knowing full well of Li Shiming's mastery over Thunder Skills, had made preparations far in advance by deploying the Thunder Summoning Array, aimed at reducing the potency of those Thunder Skills.

Under the command of multiple Array Masters, the Thunder Summoning Array roared into action, its radiant glow pulsing through the grand formation right before the 'Thunder Cloud Skill' could rain down its bolts of lightning.

Li Shiming instantly identified the Thunder Summoning Array; a subtle smile crossed his lips, his composure unshaken by its sudden emergence.

The White Emperor Sect's base had crumbled under the initial barrage of ten 'Thunder Cloud Skills,' shattering after just one breath; now he was eager to test the endurance of Taichu Sect's own array.

Regarding the Thunder Summoning Array, it would certainly sap the strength from Thunder Skills cast by an ordinary Thunder Cultivator, diverting a portion of the lightning's fury elsewhere.

Yet the 'Thunder Cloud Skill' unleashed by Li Shiming drew power from the 'Shenxiao Thunder Pearl' and refined Thunder Spirit Power via the 'Heavenly Human Technique,' elevating it far beyond the capabilities of even the strongest Thunder Cultivators.

Though his strike fell short of Mahayana Realm might, in essence, it outstripped the peak power of any Thunder Cultivator.

Should his cultivation advance more, the boost from the 'Shenxiao Thunder Pearl' would make his Thunder Skills dominate even further over top-tier Thunder Cultivators.

At present, the might of his Thunder Skill hovered just above peak Thunder Cultivator levels, a subtle edge that escaped the notice of those not versed in Thunder Cultivation.

"Boom," the opening lightning bolt crashed down with ferocity, rousing the Thunder Summoning Array to shunt the lightning's force aside.

Yet as the bolt plunged into the Thunder Summoning Array, its core structure buckled under the overwhelming rush of Thunder Energy.

Amid relentless snapping noises, the Thunder Summoning Array's base split apart, and the redirected lightning power, freed from its channels, erupted wildly without restraint.

The Array Masters were still channeling into the Thunder Summoning Array when, in the blink of an eye, bolts of lightning swallowed their forms.

Without the Thunder Summoning Array's interference, these Array Masters might have endured until Taichu Sect's grand array failed, but by pulling the lightning inward, it turned them into the sect's earliest casualties.

"The Thunder Summoning Array has failed!" Master Qiao declared with grave intensity.

Even without his words, the remaining six Great Cultivators had witnessed the Thunder Summoning Array's collapse firsthand.

Sensing the onslaught battering the grand array, they rallied every bit of spiritual power from the cultivators to bolster its barriers.

Surprise flickered in Li Shiming's eyes as he observed Taichu Sect's grand array; it stood unyieldingly firm, enduring wave after wave of lightning without yielding.

Forged over millennia, this array had been fortified endlessly, infused with vast array resources.

Above all, Taichu Sect's Nascent Soul experts merged their strengths with the seven Great Cultivators' defenses, weaving them into the array and heightening the challenge for Li Shiming to shatter it.

As the first wave of 'Thunder Cloud Skill' strikes neared its end, he stirred the spiritual power coursing through him to launch another assault.

For this round, he engaged twenty brains, bolstered by the five Nascent Souls inside him—all honed through the 'Heavenly Human Technique'—so despite his brief time in the Great Cultivator Realm, his spiritual power stores were far from meager.

He popped a Great Cultivator Spirit Pill to hasten spiritual power replenishment, then harnessed twenty brains to gather spiritual power and etch twenty 'Thunder Cloud Skill' Magic Runes.

Channeling through the 'Heavenly Strike Thunder Hammer' as the conduit, fresh, denser thunderclouds materialized amid the fading ones.

"Insane, how does he possess such overwhelming strength!" The White Emperor Sect Great Cultivator gazed skyward at the looming clouds, murmuring in dazed awe.

Li Shiming's prior display of ten 'Thunder Cloud Skills' had convinced him that was the man's utmost; unleashing ten at once was unheard of for any standard Thunder Cultivator, as far as he or Yuqing Sect knew.

Master Wang He from Yuqing Sect could manage multiple 'Thunder Cloud Skills' through a hidden method, but it demanded lengthy setup and immense tolls, nothing like Li Shiming's seamless execution.

"Stay sharp, we can endure this!" Master Qiao clamped down on his astonishment and bellowed.

Spiritual power from the Nascent Soul Dharma Form flooded wildly into the grand array, while he directed the array's own spiritual power to race faster through its pathways.

The other Great Cultivators ramped up their spiritual power contributions as well, desperate to weather the incoming barrage.

Their stand against the earlier ten 'Thunder Cloud Skills' had pushed them to the brink.

Now, facing twenty 'Thunder Cloud Skills,' they had no choice but to battle on with everything they had, praying to outlast it.

Bolts of lightning hammered down without mercy, rattling the grand array's protective shield.

"Pfft!" Taichu Sect's frailest Great Cultivator coughed up a gush of blood, drained by exhaustion and the rebounding force.

He pulled away from the Nascent Soul Dharma Form, unable to maintain it any longer.

Even after withdrawing from the Nascent Soul Dharma Form, he kept pouring out spiritual power, fully realizing that stopping now would burden the others heavily.

He produced a Spirit Pill, paused for a heartbeat, then gulped it down.

The Spirit Pill surged through him, revitalizing his essence and flooding his Nascent Soul with fresh vigor, allowing a steady stream of spiritual power to flow.

Master Qiao saw this and wanted to warn him, but after a moment's doubt, he held his tongue.

He understood it was a last-resort Spirit Pill; it granted swift recovery, yet its effects were fleeting, leaving the user bedridden and frail for ages afterward, possibly harming their cultivation base and years ahead.

Soon, another of the weaker Great Cultivators reached his breaking point and followed suit, swallowing his own desperate-use Spirit Pill.

As the lightning barrage finally tapered off, four of Taichu Sect's six Great Cultivators had resorted to desperate-use Spirit Pills, just managing to repel Li Shiming's second onslaught.

"How much damage to the array?" Master Qiao felt the grand array's labored rhythm and demanded urgently.

"It's dire; over thirty percent of the array is wrecked!" An attendant cultivator answered.

The report sank like a stone in Master Qiao's chest, the most devastating update imaginable.

He could only pray Li Shiming wouldn't escalate his assaults; best if the dual bursts left Li Shiming spent and forced to withdraw for recovery.

But glancing at Li Shiming's youthful, unstrained expression, Master Qiao knew it was pure delusion.

"Your stubborn resistance serves no purpose!" Li Shiming shook his head, noting the Great Cultivators burning their reserves with Spirit Pills, and commented.

Throughout the strikes, he had deliberately spared the array's critical points; chances to unleash his Thunder Skills without restraint were scarce, and he craved to let loose fully.

By this point, he was convinced: Taichu Sect wouldn't survive his upcoming round.

Still, he pressed on without mercy, planning to amplify the assault beyond previous levels.

Cautiously, he activated forty brains, igniting forty 'Thunder Cloud Skills' in unison—a move demanding utmost precision from him.

He directed the spiritual power across five Nascent Souls using the divine senses of forty brains, while forty more divine senses shaped the 'Thunder Cloud Skill' Magic Runes.

Precision was essential here, for any minor slip in control could rebound and nearly kill him.

Thankfully, his innate magical treasure IBMz15 provided flawless support, scanning for errors in advance and warning him of risks.

With a flick of his hand, the 'Heavenly Strike Thunder Hammer' blazed in rapid succession.

Without dedicating a brain to govern the 'Heavenly Strike Thunder Hammer,' unleashing forty Great Cultivator-tier Thunder Skills at once risked shattering its limits and revealing concealed traits.

Exposing a spirit treasure in this chaos might draw the gaze of mighty figures upon him, a danger he dreaded.