Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1566 - 829: Sea of Lightning (Part 2)

The Thunder Beast grasped Li Shiming's intent. It glanced toward the thundercloud, followed by the Thunder Cave Heaven, displaying a touch of scorn for the limited size of this cave heaven.

Yet, the thunder rules hidden inside the thundercloud drew its keen interest. Though unaware of the exact tactics that Yang Xing, the Half-step Great Power, had employed at the beginning to bind the Thunder Beast with the Ancient Contract, a clear link existed to the thunder rules tied to the Yuqing Sect's Half-step Great Power.

Entering the thundercloud, the Thunder Beast's form sparked with bolts of lightning, prompting the thundercloud to swell swiftly.

The modest cave heaven, spanning just thirty meters across, got fully occupied by the thundercloud in mere moments.

Inside the thundercloud, the Thunder Beast started bounding about, its lightning growing more vibrant while it roused the electric sparks swirling in the cloud.

Li Shiming kept a close watch on the events unfolding in the thundercloud, harboring some concern that the Thunder Beast could accidentally disturb its balance.

Should the thundercloud vanish, the thunder rules would lack a home, potentially causing the cave heaven to crumble right away.

As the master of the cave heaven stood amid the thundercloud, with the Heavenly Ghost—his spiritual pet—serving as its owner, the Thunder Cave Heaven essentially mirrored his own space.

The lightning coursing through the Thunder Cave Heaven posed no threat to him whatsoever, especially since his spiritual pet, the Thunder Beast, was boosting the thundercloud, rendering any impact from the lightning utterly negligible.

He perceived the lightning in the thundercloud building up steadily. Once the lightning saturated the whole Thunder Cave Heaven, it pushed aside all other elements in the thundercloud, leaving nothing but the lightning behind.

"Is this a miniature Sea of Lightning?" He pondered this idea while observing the myriad lightning bolts surrounding him.

Now fully at ease, the Thunder Beast ceased its jumps; it merged seamlessly with the lightning, drifting up and down in the Sea of Lightning, now and then shifting into electric bursts to reemerge on the far side of the Sea of Lightning.

Sensing the Thunder Beast's delighted feelings, Li Shiming eased up, convinced that this setting suited the Thunder Beast perfectly.

He had no plans to confine the Thunder Beast forcefully in this cramped thirty-meter-radius cave heaven, not unless the Thunder Beast truly approved.

Shifting his focus back to the source of the thunder rules, he noted that the Thunder Cave Heaven contained only the lone thunder rule, creating a harsh space unfit for any living beings to endure.

Naturally, this excluded the Thunder Beast, which thrived on devouring lightning. By turning the thundercloud into the Sea of Lightning, the Thunder Beast displayed zero unease in this rule-dominated cave heaven.

To Li Shiming's astonishment, the thunder rules began evolving gradually, though the shifts remained incredibly faint.

Without his lifebound magic treasure IBMz15, which enabled precise comparisons between the thunder rules before and after, he might have overlooked the subtle alterations in the thunder rules entirely.

Since the thunder rules under his command had already hit the peak of his present cultivation level, he struggled to pinpoint precisely what was shifting in the thunder rules. Still, he sensed the Thunder Cave Heaven's foundational support growing stronger.

This pointed to an upgrade in the thunder rules. Should this supportive force climb to a sufficient threshold, the Thunder Cave Heaven could even begin to widen.

Li Shiming proceeded to form ten Thunderbolt Groups from its depths, hurling them toward the Thunder Beast, and pledged to supply Thunderbolt Groups on a regular basis as sustenance.

Exiting the Thunder Cave Heaven, a wave of confusion washed over him. Given the Thunder Beast's abilities, why hadn't Yang Xing, the Half-step Great Power, brought it into his personal cave heaven?

He shook his head. Likely, hidden factors were at play, and Yang Xing might have sought to shield the Thunder Beast from the Yuqing Sect's mighty figures.

Li Shiming made his way back to the Treasure Lotus Hall in the Heavenly Person Cave Heaven, resuming his cultivation practice.

After a month, he finished processing five batches of Great Cultivator Spirit Pills. Two batches fell a bit short in quality, prepared to meet the assigned duties—yielding twelve high-grade Great Cultivator Spirit Pills—that merely hit fourth-grade high quality.

The other three batches of Great Cultivator Spirit Pills were produced for his personal use, of course reaching the ideal maximum for high-grade Great Cultivator Spirit Pills—a flawless set of Great Cultivator Spirit Pills.

With eighteen high-grade Great Cultivator Spirit Pills at his disposal, he could support three full cycles of cultivation, and across the whole Cultivation World, no Great Cultivator probably indulged in such lavish excess.

Even for the twelve high-grade Great Cultivator Spirit Pills, he only had to deliver ten, keeping the extra two high-grade Great Cultivator Spirit Pills for adjustments in future similar refinements.

Once the alchemy wrapped up, Li Shiming promptly messaged Master Liu Ziyun, inviting him to retrieve the spirit pills.

Master Liu Ziyun showed up with remarkable speed, making Li Shiming wonder if he lingered close to the Taichu branch.

More than anyone, Master Liu Ziyun burned with anticipation; this marked their initial partnership since the rift with Li Shiming, doubling as a trial of Li Shiming's pill-refining prowess.

Should Li Shiming truly hold the skill to produce high-grade Great Cultivator Spirit Pills, Master Liu Ziyun's position in the Central State Commerce would soar dramatically.

Master Liu Ziyun desperately wanted to lock down this vital link; it could pave the way for his group's ascent.

On this occasion, he resolved to bar involvement from the Central State Commerce headquarters or any outside cultivators.

Before, his faith in the headquarters had sparked the split between Li Shiming and Central State Commerce. With ties now mended, he refused to risk the same error again.

In just one month, various structures had risen on the former site of the Taichu branch, including spots designed for hosting visitors.

It was here that Li Shiming encountered Master Liu Ziyun. During setup, the Ten Thousand Beast Sect had adorned the area with plenty of Fourth Grade Spirit Items, turning it into one of the grandest spots outside a handful of Great Cultivators' guest halls near the sect entrance.

"Mr. Li, I'm a bit nervous. Could I inspect one batch of the refined spirit pills first?" Master Liu Ziyun inquired, a hint of sheepishness in his tone, ignoring the spirit fruits laid out on the table.

He figured Li Shiming had called him for a fresh batch of Great Cultivator Spirit Pills. By his reckoning, the timeline aligned with completing one batch of spirit pills.

Leveraging the Great Cultivator realm's alchemical might, be it through 'Red Sun Spirit Fire' or 'Nanming Leaving Fire,' the flames' intensity surged, letting him squeeze the refinement of Great Cultivator Spirit Pills into under twenty-five days.

This insight, uncovered early in the process, allowed him to craft additional Great Cultivator Spirit Pills within the set period.

Li Shiming saw no need for extra clarification. He simply slid a jade bottle across.

Excitement lit up Master Liu Ziyun's face as he pried open the bottle's lid just a sliver. Great Cultivator Spirit Pills carried immense value, and even minor potency loss counted as a huge squander.

Spotting the ten high-grade Great Cultivator Spirit Pills within, shock flickered in his gaze.

"Did you produce these in a single month?" Though he realized the question was improper, he blurted it out anyway.

"Right now, I can handle up to five batches of Great Cultivator Spirit Pills at once!" Li Shiming revealed his capacity freely, without a second thought.

In reality, if aiming solely for high-grade Great Cultivator Spirit Pills that satisfied commission levels, he didn't have to rely on the machine room space. Backed by vast alchemical knowledge and IBMz15's aid, churning out spirit pills just scraping high-grade standards posed no challenge.

For mass production, gathering sufficient Fourth Grade Pill Furnaces would do. A single brain could control one Fourth Grade Pill Furnace, and with plentiful 'Nanming Leaving Fire,' managing one hundred ninety-one batches of Great Cultivator Spirit Pills together lay well within reach.

"Should word of this get out, the entire Cultivation World would lose its mind!" After dozens of breaths to steady his surging feelings, Master Liu Ziyun reined in his fervor and exclaimed with thrill.

"My schedule is tight. For this round, I can devote only two months to alchemy!" Li Shiming called out as a reminder.

He followed his own agenda. Absent his enormous need for Great Cultivator Spirit Pills, he wouldn't carve out time for pill-making during this stretch.

Having freshly advanced to Great Cultivator, he remained in the stage of integrating his abilities.

Issues like Little Feng and Illusion Spirit Dragon's breakthroughs, the five late-stage Golden Corpses, refining his personal magic treasures, and grasping thunder rules—all demanded vast chunks of his time.