Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1625 - 859: Victory

Great Venerable Ming Hai fixed his gaze on Li Yuanba once more, but the disdain that previously colored his eyes had vanished entirely.

While his 'Chaos Sword Intent' had seemingly been neutralized with ease, this only occurred because the Xingyi Sword had failed to breach the formidable defenses of his physique.

Had that defensive threshold been crossed, the 'Chaos Sword Intent' invading his body would have been far more difficult to purge.

Li Yuanba was secretly unsettled by the raw durability of Great Venerable Ming Hai’s physical form. Even though his last strike hadn't been at full capacity—relying as it did on a surprise maneuver—it remained a strike that few Great Cultivators could survive unscathed.

Rather than feeling apprehensive, a surge of exhilaration washed over him; this was, without question, the most formidable opponent he had ever faced.

His eyes burned with mounting intensity, viewing Great Venerable Ming Hai as if the monk were a rare and priceless treasure.

"Slash!" he roared. The Xingyi Sword erupted with amplified power, hurtling toward Great Venerable Ming Hai once more.

Great Venerable Ming Hai gestured with his hand, causing his Kasaya to billow outward. Bolstered by his Spiritual Power Pattern, the garment transformed into a shimmering shield, positioning itself firmly before him.

Simultaneously, he unleashed a Magic Vajra Pestle; it cut through the air, trailing streaks of golden radiance as it bore down upon Li Yuanba.

This golden light carried a potent grounding effect, instantly locking down the sector where Li Yuanba stood.

Yet, on this occasion, the brilliance of the Magic Vajra Pestle merely collided with a discarded afterimage.

Employing 'Zhi Chi Tian Ya,' Li Yuanba had already blinked to a different location, leaving the Magic Vajra Pestle to strike empty space.

The Xingyi Sword slammed into the Kasaya, causing the golden light that wreathed it to ripple and falter.

Great Venerable Ming Hai’s face darkened with a slight frown. This sacred Kasaya had already suffered a puncture, and its efficacy as a top-grade fourth-grade defensive treasure had been noticeably diminished.

Upon repelling the Xingyi Sword, he could detect that the spiritual imprint within the Kasaya was being steadily gnawed away by the 'Chaos Sword Intent,' weakening the bond even further.

Though his Spiritual Power Pattern remained potent enough to fortify the Kasaya and deflect the sword, the corrosive nature of the 'Chaos Sword Intent' meant the artifact could not withstand much more punishment.

This is why top-tier Sword Cultivators remain the most vexing foes for any sect. Naturally, typical Great Cultivators rarely face this dilemma.

For them, the treasure is usually shattered by the sheer force of the 'Chaos Sword Intent' long before the spiritual imprint within it can be erased.

Setting aside any concern for his fraying Kasaya, Great Venerable Ming Hai produced a Golden Bell, another treasure of the top-grade fourth-grade rank.

Before he could fully channel energy into the bell, a presence manifested behind him.

Li Yuanba emerged, his Fourth-Grade Sword Foundation gripped firmly in hand. Having pushed his 'Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique' to its zenith and mastered the 'Unnamed Sword Manual,' the quality of his foundation surpassed that of standard artifacts, reaching the equivalent of top-grade fourth-grade.

This particular strike was a close-quarters Secret Technique derived from the 'Unnamed Sword Manual,' channeling the entirety of his strength, his Spiritual Power Pattern, his 'Chaos Sword Intent,' and the 'Sword Intent Rule' into one decisive blow.

Sensing the sudden threat, Great Venerable Ming Hai triggered the Golden Bell, which expanded instantly and swung violently behind him.

Li Yuanba was forced to abort his swing midway, retracting the Fourth-Grade Sword Foundation to leap backward and narrowly avoid the crashing momentum of the bell.

Although the top-grade fourth-grade Golden Bell was not designed as blunt-force weaponry, the massive physical strength of Great Venerable Ming Hai transformed the impact—even grazing Li Yuanba—into something as devastating as a direct spell hit.

While he successfully repelled Li Yuanba, the Fourth-Grade Sword Foundation still carved a visible, shallow furrow into the monk’s back.

Crimson blood welled from the gash, though to Great Venerable Ming Hai, whose path focused heavily on body refinement, such a surface wound was trivial.

Normally, such an injury would mend itself in the blink of an eye.

However, the incision left by Li Yuanba’s Fourth-Grade Sword Foundation stubbornly refused to close.

Because the cut was minor, the bleeding remained thin, yet it persisted, defying any attempt for the flesh to knit back together.

Great Venerable Ming Hai understood instantly that the stubbornness of the wound was due to the 'Chaos Sword Intent' embedded deep within the tissue.

He had no choice but to concentrate his Spiritual Power Pattern on the site of the injury, creating a seal to prevent the 'Chaos Sword Intent' from spreading further into his meridians.

Expelling the intent would require a slow, methodical use of his Spiritual Power Pattern—a task ten times more arduous than merely deflecting the blade itself.

A cold fury bubbled within him. With a crowd of Great Cultivators watching, being forced to draw blood—no matter how trivial—was a humiliating stain on his reputation.

One should not be fooled by his monastic appearance; having ascended to such an exalted realm, he was far more ego-driven than his peers, and he found the judgmental gazes of those around him intolerable.

He opened his mouth, unleashing a Thunder Sound Divine Ability that reverberated outward from his very core.

This was an area-of-effect technique; regardless of where Li Yuanba fled, so long as he remained within the blast radius, he would be struck by the sonic force.

But the moment Li Yuanba caught the stirrings of the Divine Skill, he invoked 'Zhi Chi Tian Ya,' warping himself back to a safe distance.

By the time the sonic waves engulfed the clearing, Li Yuanba was already far beyond their reach, completely unscathed.

With a flicker of his thoughts, he drew the Xingyi Sword back from the vicinity of Great Venerable Ming Hai as the thunderous blast subsided.

Almost immediately, the sword lunged forward once more. Great Venerable Ming Hai hoisted the Golden Bell above his head, and it exuded a warm, golden barrier that enveloped his entire frame.

The Xingyi Sword struck the light, causing the golden sphere to tremble violently, yet it held firm.

Realizing his direct approach was being checked, Li Yuanba adjusted his strategy, guiding the Xingyi Sword to focus solely on the main body of the Golden Bell.