Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1548 - 820: Sealing (Part 2)

Without close attention, his words remain indistinct and hard to make out.

Naturally, this turns his originally menacing threats into something far less persuasive.

"You’re facing off against me with three thousand years of cultivation, while I’m barely 150 years old!" Li Shiming shot back with a chilly grin.

Those remarks struck deep at the Half-step Great Power, who found himself restrained by a cultivator under 150 years old—no less, when he himself had launched the assault first.

"What terms would you set for my release? Be it magical artifacts, resources, or cultivation materials, my hoard should cover whatever you ask!" Abandoning intimidation, the Half-step Great Power shifted to tempting offers.

"Got any items on par with the ’Shenxiao Thunder Pearl’? What about spiritual treasures?" Li Shiming pressed with quick questions.

Li Shiming’s query left the Half-step Great Power briefly speechless, unsure how to reply.

True enough, as a leading figure in the Yuqing Sect, the Half-step Great Power had amassed a vast lifetime of treasures.

Yet his current realm kept certain high-level items out of his reach entirely.

What exactly is the ’Shenxiao Thunder Pearl’? It’s a rare item reserved for Great Powers alone, one that boosts the might of their Thunder Skill strikes.

Such exclusive treasures as the ’Shenxiao Thunder Pearl’ prove incredibly scarce even among Great Powers.

While most Great Powers possess at least one spiritual treasure, very few manage to acquire a second. Until ascending to full Great Power status, contact with spiritual treasures stays impossible.

The Half-step Great Power tried to respond further, only to discover his voice no longer carried outward.

In truth, as Li Shiming conversed with the Half-step Great Power, he kept the late-stage Golden Corpse busy etching runes uninterrupted.

That jade compass’s core material ranked as supreme fourth-grade, allowing the rune to unleash its peak potency and anchor firmly upon it.

This rune’s impact proves straightforward and effortless, unlike the setup from one hundred and eight Buddha Beads, which demands ongoing tweaks if relocated, turning transport into a real hassle.

Even so, Li Shiming’s skill in Formations stood exceptionally high; typical Great Cultivators couldn’t relocate a one hundred and eight Buddha Beads array without disrupting its function.

With the final line drawn, the link between the jade compass’s space and the outer realm sealed completely.

At that instant, Li Shiming eased up; the Half-step Great Power hesitated to forfeit three thousand years of cultivation. If he’d struck during the Formation’s setup or rune inscription, a faint chance for a last-ditch struggle might have lingered.

Still, sacrificing three thousand years of hard-earned cultivation for such a move made the choice incredibly tough.

By the time the Half-step Great Power resolved to act, the window had closed, leaving no opening for a desperate counter.

Li Shiming stepped near the jade compass and effortlessly gathered the one hundred and eight Buddha Beads; suppression via Formation held no further purpose.

Paired with the jade compass’s inherent material, the space-sealing rune he inscribed far outshone the Buddha Beads array in effectiveness.

Within the jade compass lingered an owner’s mark, which he detected as Master Wang He’s spiritual imprint.

He left that owner’s mark untouched and scanned for his target. Quickly, in the jade compass’s core, a spherical form appeared, nestled like a gem at its heart.

Without his prior study of Grotto Heaven, he could easily have missed it, dismissing it as merely a genuine pearl.

This marked a key external display of Grotto Heaven. Called one of the displays since the Cave Heaven Master dictates the outer form, which might glow with energy, take solid shape, or even bond to a living host.

A subtle grin crossed Li Shiming’s features; ample time now lay ahead to deal with the Half-step Great Power, who’d caused him major headaches and nearly ended him.

He might not endure even a single finger poke from the Half-step Great Power normally, but sealing the Half-step Great Power within the Grotto Heaven reversed their roles—he alone could strike, while the foe remained powerless against him.

The rune formed a unidirectional barrier. From outside, one could observe the Grotto Heaven’s interior and channel energy inside, yet the trapped Half-step Great Power couldn’t shatter the spatial lock.

Li Shiming had no intention of enacting his scheme on the spot. A more robust seal was required to guarantee the Half-step Great Power’s utter defeat.

He stored the jade compass away, then directed two late-stage Golden Corpses to haul the pair of Peak Great Cultivators.

Right then, remorse surged to its peak in the two Peak Great Cultivators’ minds, particularly for Master Wang He.

On this occasion, not just he—the elite Thunder Cultivator—got caught by the Yuqing Sect, but a Half-step Great Power fell into the trap too.

Their physical forms and Nascent Souls stood sealed, though their senses remained open—they witnessed Li Shiming’s full procedure in locking away the Half-step Great Power’s Grotto Heaven.

Despair washed over them; facing the Half-step Great Power, Li Shiming had swiftly pinpointed its critical flaw and exploited it to confine the Grotto Heaven.

Before, a sliver of optimism lingered: with the Half-step Great Power intact and untouchable by Li Shiming, rescue seemed possible.

They’d even believed Li Shiming kept them alive solely because of the Half-step Great Power’s influence.

"Mr. Liu, I require a set of Fourth-grade Array Materials. Attached is the list!" Through a contact plate, Li Shiming messaged Master Liu Ziyun from Central State Commerce.

"Mr. Li, we’ve got Array Materials stocked in the warehouse. Delivery location?" Master Liu Ziyun answered in mere moments.

Li Shiming checked his spot and forwarded the coordinates to Master Liu Ziyun.

A fine location, distant from any cultivators. Here he intended to settle the Half-step Great Power.

Returning the jade compass to the sect for handling risked too much, should the Half-step Great Power unleash a final gambit; his ’One Step Forward’ allowed an eight-thousand-mile spatial leap for escape, yet the sect would crumble under the Half-step Great Power’s final outburst.

Regarding his choice to procure Array Materials from Central State Commerce rather than request from Ten Thousand Beast Sect.

Ten Thousand Beast Sect certainly stocked plenty of Array Materials, but recent growth—particularly the Taichu branch rebuild—left their supplies stretched thin for internal needs; reserves served specific purposes.

Purchases from Central State Commerce allowed Li Shiming deferred payment, offset later by crafting Spirit Pills.

Though Fourth-grade Array Materials count as valuables in the Cultivation World, they barely register for Great Cultivators. Refining a round of Spirit Pills for Great Cultivators would cover the cost with extras to spare.

Master Liu Ziyun moved fast, showing up in under two hours.

Drawing on his expertise, nearing the site, he picked up traces of a Great Cultivator clash.

His face froze briefly; assuming his detection held true, Peak Great Cultivators had clashed here.

Next, he spotted Li Shiming, appearing unkempt with his robe torn and frayed.

Pain twisted in Master Liu Ziyun’s chest at the sight of such a fine top-level fourth-grade Magical Treasure reduced to shreds—the Fourth Grade Top Quality robe now a tattered mess.

Yet quickly, another thought hit him: what force could wreck a top-level fourth-grade Magical Treasure so badly?

Li Shiming paid no heed to his robe’s state. Post-battle, his thoughts lingered on the recent fight, fixating on the Half-step Great Power’s devastating finger assault.

In his view, that finger’s core concealed a profound mystery.

The robe held worth, sure, but he owned plenty of top-level fourth-grade ones; over years of fights alongside his doppelgänger Li Yuanba, he’d claimed ample spoils, including multiple such elite robes.

Just because robe damage didn’t faze him did his focus stay locked on analyzing the battle, blind to his own disarray.