Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1602 - 847: Luan and Feng (Part 2)

Deciphering formations with the aid of technology is an entirely distinct process, involving thorough investigation into their structure, detailed examinations, and computations to uncover the mechanisms at play and pinpoint the critical nodes.

Once those nodes are under control, specialized methods can be applied to trigger energy clashes inside the formation, revealing its weak points.

Li Shiming takes a more straightforward approach; he plunges straight into the formation, tweaking the nodes until it disappears entirely.

For even her, as the Formation Master who set up the array, such a technique remains out of reach, given the overwhelming volume of calculations involved—and this way of dismantling formations is purely theoretical.

"Dispatch two Red Gold Phoenixes to delay him a bit. If not, it'll be too humiliating!" Palace Master Gu considered briefly before giving the order.

"Palace Master Gu, remember, he's merely a clone—don't let anything slip up!" warned a female cultivator.

"Exercise caution!" Palace Master Gu replied without much concern; provided the sent Red Gold Phoenixes are managed right, no issues should arise.

The path ahead wasn't extensive, and Li Shiming soon spotted the ascending steps, topped by a majestic palace.

Right then, a pair of Red Gold Phoenixes burst from the cloud sea, charging straight at him.

Both Red Gold Phoenixes stood at Fourth Grade Middle Stage, and together, their might could stall even a formidable Great Cultivator.

Li Shiming eased his stride, as the five late-stage Golden Corpses trailing him hastened forward, forming a protective encirclement around him.

A shimmer enveloped the late-stage Golden Corpses, and complete suits of armor materialized on their forms.

At first, the two Red Gold Phoenixes aimed only to halt Li Shiming's progress; that was their sole task, without any intent to strike.

Yet the armored five late-stage Golden Corpses stirred a sense of challenge in the two Red Gold Phoenixes.

The five late-stage Golden Corpses advanced alongside Li Shiming, utterly dismissing the threat posed by the two Red Gold Phoenixes.

The two Red Gold Phoenixes dropped all restraint, unleashing piercing phoenix cries before converting their feathers into blazing infernos that rained down on Li Shiming.

The five late-stage Golden Corpses held their ground, merely guarding Li Shiming and letting the flames crash against the protective barrier.

The Red Gold Phoenix’s flames strike fear for their soul-scorching property; this soul-burning capability pierces through if defenses prove too weak.

Still, the barrier from the five late-stage Golden Corpses proved extraordinarily robust, repelling the two Red Gold Phoenixes' flames completely.

Fury gripped the two Red Gold Phoenixes; their shrieks grew fiercer, flames igniting across their bodies as they shifted into pure fire states.

The Red Gold Phoenixes hurled blazing orbs at the barrier, these bursts far more potent than the feather-spawned ones.

Not even a Great Cultivator would risk enduring assaults from Red Gold Phoenixes.

The Phoenix Clan bloodline in these two Red Gold Phoenixes ran thick, wielding the very same ‘Nirvana Fire’ as Little Feng, boasting devastating destructive force.

Palace Master Gu, seeing the two Red Gold Phoenixes' rage at first, prepared to call them back, but what followed halted her.

A pleased smile crossed Li Shiming's face, content with the armor adorning the late-stage Golden Corpses.

Forging those five armor sets had consumed him well over a year; naturally, the late-stage Golden Corpses possessed not just the five armors but also five bows.

Actually, producing the five bows posed little challenge, as each was empowered with eight billion power runes and four billion power storage runes to amplify their potency.

Thus, the late-stage Golden Corpses required no binding to the treasures; despite all five bows qualifying as spiritual treasures, their essence remained undetectable until use.

Every one of the five bows served as a long-range spiritual treasure bow; with proper safeguards against aura escape prior to firing, no spiritual treasure aura would seep out.

The bows earned their 'easy' label because aura leakage from spiritual treasures wasn't a concern.

In contrast, forging the armor challenged Li Shiming greatly; even crafted to Fourth Grade Top Quality as Artifact Tribulation Treasures, their defense fell short of elite standards.

To withstand strikes from a Peak Great Cultivator, defenses needed to match spiritual treasure caliber.

Ultimately, he devised a fix: breaking down the armor into multiple segments.

Each suit split into seven pieces—head, chest, left arm, right arm, lower body, left leg, and right leg armor—each etched with three billion sturdy runes and three billion defensive runes.

These seven pieces could link up into a unified treasure. United, they formed a spiritual treasure boasting twenty-one billion sturdy runes and twenty-one billion defensive runes, an ultimate defense spiritual treasure.

This stood as the mightiest spiritual treasure Li Shiming had ever forged; its unveiling would undoubtedly shock the cultivation world.

For now, the five late-stage Golden Corpses hadn't engaged their supreme defense mode, simply deploying the seven components separately to generate a barrier.

Nevertheless, each of those seven components rivaled a Fourth Grade Top-level Artifact Tribulation Treasure, teetering on spiritual treasure thresholds.

Armed with the late-stage Golden Corpses' inherent might plus this unparalleled armor defense, Li Shiming felt secure sending his ‘Phantom Clone’ to safeguard Yin Shilan on Central State Continent.

Amid the two Red Gold Phoenixes' wild onslaught, Li Shiming mounted the steps.

The instant his foot met the stair, the two Red Gold Phoenixes' assaults ceased abruptly, followed by two dejected cries as they wheeled away in flight.

Li Shiming gazed upward, beholding the palace's plaque, which bore the words Fengqi Palace.

Phoenix denotes the male, while凰 signifies the female; hence, Fengqi Palace likely served as the hall for receiving male cultivators.

Reaching Fengqi Palace's entrance, the spirit wood vermilion doors parted wide on either side.

"Palace Master Gu Ziyou of War Phoenix Hall, on behalf of Luanyang Palace, extends welcome to Mr. Li Shizhen!" Palace Master Gu emerged from within, clad in unadorned palace robes without cosmetics, yet radiating bold valor; she bowed in salute to Li Shiming.

"Greetings, Palace Master Gu!" Li Shiming reciprocated the bow.

With a welcoming motion, Palace Master Gu guided Li Shiming into the vast hall.

Within the hall, Master Li and Yin Shilan awaited. Their short parting from Li Shiming had filled Yin Shilan's eyes with longing at his return, as if brimming with tales from his absence.

Li Shiming offered her a warm smile, sensing her desire to recount happenings during his time away.

"The earlier trial came off as rude; I never anticipated Mr. Li's mastery in formations and formidable power—truly, being dubbed the top Great Cultivator fits you perfectly!" Palace Master Gu remarked gently, smiling.

Li Shiming detected an odd undertone in her statement.

Glancing at Master Li's face, the prior eagerness to witness Li Shiming's discomfort had vanished, replaced by evident resignation.

This prompted Li Shiming to wonder—shouldn't such a test have been simpler?

"Palace Master Gu, I'm merely a novice regarding formations; and my power stems not from within but from external aids!" Still, modesty prevailed, so Li Shiming answered smilingly.

"The two Red Gold Phoenixes overdid it; actually, I told them to merely test lightly, yet they went all out. I've already secluded them for discipline!" Palace Master Gu's tone softened markedly, buoyed by Li Shiming's amiable response, making her speech more considerate.

"No need for that at all; I know Red Gold Phoenixes quite well. It's only natural for such proud Phoenixes to show some spirit!" Li Shiming waved it off.

The talk flowed smoothly from there, and Palace Master Gu kept exchanges brief. After some courteous words, she outlined provisions for Li Shiming.

The second level of Fengqi Palace held quarters arranged for him.

As Palace Master Gu explained, every male cultivator visiting Luanyang Palace lodged here; beyond Fengqi Palace, males needed special invites to access other areas.

Yin Shilan could visit freely, ensuring their time apart remained short.