Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1538 - 815: Discovery (Part 2)

Whether Master Ren Mu and Master Yan Gao have ever clashed in combat remains unknown, yet their fighting prowess must be remarkably close.

As top-tier Great Cultivators from mighty superpowers, any variations in their might would hardly create a wide divide.

Li Shiming had figured that once Master Yan Gao learned of his triumph over Master Ren Mu, the former wouldn't venture to Dongqi Continent to challenge him.

Even with the intense feud against the White Emperor Sect, should his power prove overwhelming, the sect would quietly endure it.

One must remember that Li Shiming's slaying of three White Emperor Sect Great Cultivators stemmed from their assault on the Ten Thousand Beast Sect, making his retaliation rightful and in line with Cultivation World norms.

Yet, to his surprise, Master Yan Gao from the White Emperor Sect appeared anyway, so Li Shiming had to stay alert for whatever tricks the man might pull.

With his abilities now laid bare, Master Yan Gao's boldness in showing up meant he was confident of wiping him out.

Luckily, the drone satellite network spanning Dongqi Continent got rebuilt over the days, extending surveillance even to the surrounding seas.

His core treasure, the IBMz15, kept a nonstop watch on the data streaming from this drone satellite setup.

From his know-how, no matter how wary a cultivator might be, they wouldn't hide their aura while crossing the sea.

Over the waves, exposing one's aura serves to scare off spirit beasts and ward away hostile cultivators.

Plus, there's little point in masking one's presence at sea; true secrecy calls for it only after hitting the mainland.

On day three, a alert popped from his natal treasure, the IBMz15, for Li Shiming. The video feed captured two mighty, blurry auras racing across the ocean.

"Two peak Great Cultivators—they've come fully armed!" Li Shiming pondered inwardly, whispering to himself.

Peak Great Cultivators aren't your everyday sight. Even in superpowers, those at peak and active are scarce. Sure, some superpowers boast multiples, but they're usually tucked away in retreat.

Li Shiming couldn't confirm if both incoming peak Great Cultivators hailed from the White Emperor Sect, though one fact stood firm: Master Yan Gao was surely one of them.

Right now, beyond the White Emperor Sect, no other force would send a peak Great Cultivator to Dongqi Continent.

Li Shiming fired off a note to Grandmaster Hu, letting him know of his short absence.

Though his rank in the Ten Thousand Beast Sect had soared, he still paid proper deference to Grandmaster Hu by giving heads-up on key issues ahead of time.

Grandmaster Hu had no clue about his plans and, seeing the message, brushed it off, figuring his shown battle skills made him untouchable.

In Dongqi Continent, Li Shiming's power knew no equal, outstripping big sects or even superpower outposts there.

As he set out, Li Shiming snatched up Great Cultivator Luo Pei. Luo Pei's fighting might couldn't touch that battle tier, but the Heavenly Ghost offered a key boost in forces. In dire straits, it proved essential, so he kept it close.

"Such a shame!" he mused regretfully, wishing he'd forged five 'Thunderous Mysterious Bows' to tip the scales big in the fight.

He held just one 'Thunderous Mysterious Bow' now, its strength seeming average to him these days, below what he hoped, so he skipped using it via the late-stage Golden Corpse.

Two compact flying boats soared from the shore onto Dongqi Continent's soil, where two Great Cultivators stepped off and stowed the vessels.

They held back from advancing right away, instead flinging out an array plate that, on impact, spun up a Concealing Array.

Inside the Concealing Array, the pair pulled out communication tokens and reached out to their spies in Dongqi Continent for the freshest intel.

One of these Great Cultivators was none other than Master Yan Gao, with the other being Li Shiming's familiar face, Master Wang He.

Li Shiming likely never foresaw the White Emperor Sect teaming up with the Yuqing Sect, sending forth these two peak Great Cultivators.

The duo of peak Great Cultivators had teamed up several times in the past, their coordination flawless.

"Brother Wang, who'd have guessed we'd team up one day to take on just one Great Cultivator!" Master Yan Gao laughed lightly, shaking his head.

He'd first aimed to head to Dongqi Continent solo, but hitches slowed his trip.

In that span, word reached him of Li Shiming's clean win over Master Ren Mu right on Dongqi Continent.

That news hit, and the White Emperor Sect swiftly linked with the Yuqing Sect, who nursed even deeper grudges against Li Shiming.

The Yuqing Sect knew Li Shiming clutched the 'Shenxiao Thunder Pearl,' a priceless gem. Without his seclusion after, they might've sent Master Wang He to nab him.

When the White Emperor Sect approached, the Yuqing Sect was already scheming against Li Shiming, sparking the move to unleash two peak Great Cultivators.

Bringing in lesser Great Cultivators got nixed after the two superpowers weighed it.

Reports showed Li Shiming's grasp of the 'Yuqing Thunder Scripture' let him dispatch regular Great Cultivators with ease after his breakthrough. Weaker ones sent over would just perish.

The big issue was the White Emperor Sect couldn't stomach losing yet another Great Cultivator, and the Yuqing Sect had bled plenty of them over time too.

Truth be told, the Yuqing Sect grasped that Li Shiming's fierce battle power came from the 'Shenxiao Thunder Pearl's' boost, which could lift a Thunder Cultivator's might by a full realm.

Though the Great Cultivator stage has its quirks, tied tight to rules, an early Great Cultivator in Thunder ways with the 'Shenxiao Thunder Pearl' could match a peak one's output.

"Brother Yan, don't brush off Li Shizhen; his fighting strength almost matches ours!" Master Wang He warned gravely.

This mission fell to him to reclaim the 'Shenxiao Thunder Pearl,' and he vowed not to flop again.

"Got it, Li Shizhen practices the 'Yuqing Thunder Scripture'—looks like you know why his power spiked so fast!" Master Yan Gao's gaze sharpened as he mused aloud.

In recent days, Master Yan Gao had caught wind that the Yuqing Sect probably misplaced a vital treasure, though they hid what it was.

Li Shiming's quick climb made Master Yan Gao think that lost item fueled his abrupt power leap.

"Li Shizhen's a prodigy in Thunder Cultivation, his talent freakishly huge, unseen in the Yuqing Sect for thousands of years!" Master Wang He sighed, shaking his head.

He hated naming the 'Shenxiao Thunder Pearl,' yet he knew it wouldn't aid a Nascent Soul Middle Stage cultivator's shot at Great Cultivator status.

Besides, in training, the 'Shenxiao Thunder Pearl' offered mild gains, shining mostly as a battle aid with weak perks elsewhere.

Put simply, Li Shiming's fast climb to Great Cultivator had zilch to do with owning the 'Shenxiao Thunder Pearl.'

The link was purely that the 'Shenxiao Thunder Pearl' pumped up Li Shiming's Great Cultivator fight power, letting him drop several Great Cultivators.

Naturally, this was just Master Wang He's take; he overlooked that Thunder Cultivation was only part of Li Shiming's arsenal. His Sword Cultivation matched it, and the 'Heavenly Human Technique's' power up was beyond his grasp.