Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1539 - 816: Facing the Enemy
Previously on Cultivation is just so scientific!...
"Looks like our intel collection efforts are falling short. The Ten Thousand Beast Sect's sway over Dongqi Continent is booming strong, while the White Emperor Sect's spy network faces heavy restrictions!" Yan Gao Great Cultivator stated, his face creased in a deep frown.
Reports from the spies had reached him, yet they contained barely any worthwhile details, leaving him sensing a near-total lack of intel backup.
"Same story on our end; the Yuqing Sect's spy web can't uncover a single helpful scrap either!" Master Wang He replied with a helpless shrug, his hands outspread.
"The spies tried pulling info from our allies, only to get shut down flat. This kind of blockade hasn't hit us in ages!" Yan Gao Great Cultivator vented, rage boiling inside him.
A mighty power like the one on the fragile Dongqi Continent getting squeezed this hard—and not even by the White Emperor Sect's foes, but by their supposed partners.
"Can't fault them for it. Your White Emperor Sect's final partner, the Taichu Sect, got crushed by Li Shizhen just for hiding one of their Great Cultivators!" Master Wang He shot back bluntly, holding nothing back as he laid out the harsh truth behind it all.
Li Shizhen's total destruction of the Taichu Sect stood as a brutal caution to every power across Dongqi Continent.
Now, no faction dares lend open aid to the White Emperor Sect through any channel, and they're all gripped by deep dread of the Ten Thousand Beast Sect. Until that terror fades away, none will risk moves that strike against the Ten Thousand Beast Sect.
This was precisely the outcome Li Shiming aimed for; with power enough to erase a whole sect, he'd force other groups to grasp the vital need for caution, or face utter wipeout.
In the Cultivation World, those who cultivate cling to their sects with fanatical loyalty. For these groups, they'd give up anything— even life itself—and bear endless hardships just to shield them.
"The mess we're in now dwarfs what we faced last visit. All we've got is the spot of the Ten Thousand Beast Sect's main gate, plus word that Li Shizhen's holed up there. Do we just charge straight at their mountain gate?" Yan Gao Great Cultivator voiced, worry etching his tone.
Honestly speaking, storming the Ten Thousand Beast Sect's mountain gate wouldn't pose much threat with the combined might of him and Master Wang He.
That said, it hinges on no rival Great Cultivators being around at the same level. A top sect's core formation can surge a Great Cultivator's strength by over twice as much, and with powers evenly matched, that kind of amplification leaves even two elite Peak Great Cultivators doubting their chances.
And that's ignoring the Ten Thousand Beast Sect's extra Great Cultivators, not to mention the fierce Spiritual Pets bonded to those Great Cultivators.
"I've fired off a message home already, urging the sect to shell out for intel buys from the Central State Commerce!" Master Wang He declared gravely, slipping the communication token back into storage.
"Smart move. Li Shizhen's got bad blood with the Central State Commerce, and their spy setup could deliver us a ton of solid leads!" Yan Gao Great Cultivator agreed with a firm nod.
The Central State Commerce's inner turmoil opens doors; for the right price, you can snag the intel you need from one of their splinter groups.
"Hold on—there's a Great Cultivator right outside!" While the pair of Peak Great Cultivators conferred, they leaped to their feet in alarm, dropping into guard positions as they bellowed.
Just beyond the Concealing Array's edge, Li Shiming's form materialized, having zipped in via 'One Step to Reach' spatial shift from a full eight thousand miles off.
Even if Li Shiming's presence rippled out from eight thousand miles distant, the sharp senses of these two Peak Great Cultivators would still need moments to pick up on something so far away.
Yet Li Shiming's 'One Step to Reach' outpaced that distant aura's spread by a wide margin.
So he popped up right near Master Wang He and Yan Gao Great Cultivator, and only then did the duo spot him—meaning for Peak Great Cultivators like them, an enemy had slipped in undetected.
Incidents like this almost never befall Peak Great Cultivators, not since they climbed to that peak.
Yet here, even with both Peak Great Cultivators side by side, another Great Cultivator closed in to striking distance undetected—how could they not reel in shock?
Yan Gao Great Cultivator quickly scanned the Concealing Array first; though triggered by an Array Plate, from the crafting materials to the Array Master's skill level and the plate's own quality, everything ranked as the absolute pinnacle in the Cultivation World.
Still, despite this elite Concealing Array's shield from the Array Plate, a Great Cultivator had sniffed them out—this left Yan Gao Great Cultivator questioning if the Array Plate itself had a flaw.
Moments later, he confirmed the Array Plate operated perfectly fine, yet they had indeed been located by a Great Cultivator.
With a flick of his hand, he stored the Array Plate away, figuring it pointless now that the foe had zeroed in on their hideout.
"Li Shizhen!" Master Wang He caught sight of Li Shiming and instantly pegged who he was.
"Master Wang He, who would've thought the Yuqing Sect and White Emperor Sect would team up like this—or are you two sects gearing up for a full merger?" Li Shiming taunted with a smirk; Master Wang He's presence didn't catch him off guard, as he'd already pieced together some guesses.
Sure, Master Wang He might not grasp this side of him well, but Li Shiming's other face—the incarnation of Li Yuanba—had battled at Master Wang He's side for close to a year, gaining intimate knowledge of the man.