Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1629 - 861: Startled Retreat

"Senior Brother Jian, why don't you let me handle this one? Grant me the opportunity," Li Yuanba requested with a grin, directing his gaze toward Cultivator Jian Tianyi.

"Very well, I find myself too lazy to intervene anyway; the challengers are simply too feeble," Cultivator Jian Tianyi remarked, brushing it off with a casual gesture of his hand.

This was far from mere arrogance; given his overwhelming combat prowess, not a single one of the thirty-plus great cultivators assembled opposite them could endure even one strike from him.

Despite his consent, a strange, knowing smile flickered across Cultivator Jian Tianyi's features.

"Greetings, Brother Wu!" Only then did Li Yuanba acknowledge the presence of another great cultivator nearby, stepping forward to offer his respects.

"Junior Li, finally, I get to witness you in action!" Grandmaster Wu’s eyes shimmered with intense anticipation.

Li Yuanba’s ascent had been meteoric; while Grandmaster Wu had watched his development, he had never seen his true combat abilities firsthand since his promotion to great cultivator status, having only heard stories about how he vanquished Great Venerable Ming Hai.

"We have a few days to spare, so why not stay for a bit? I have procured some excellent tea," Li Yuanba offered, gesturing toward a nearby stone table and chairs.

He produced Fourth Grade Spirit Tea and some Fourth Grade Spirit Spring, immediately setting about boiling water utilizing the 'Six Yang Spirit Fire.'

"Is this truly the Fourth Grade Spirit Tea crafted by Li Shizhen? That fellow Wuwei is quite stingy, only ever unveiling a handful at a time!" Cultivator Jian Tianyi remarked, inhaling the rich tea aroma once he had taken his seat.

Grandmaster Wu joined him, seating himself while keeping his gaze locked on Li Yuanba’s measured movements.

Because of Li Shiming’s legendary reputation regarding alchemy within the Cultivation World, his personally crafted Fourth Grade Spirit Tea had gained even more prestige.

Regrettably, acquiring Fourth Grade Spirit Tea prepared by Li Shiming personally is an arduous task, as it remains reserved strictly for his inner circle of friends.

The previous, limited batches of this Fourth Grade Spirit Tea had been entirely consumed over the span of a hundred years.

The three great cultivators of the sword sat together, savoring the superior spirit tea while exchanging deep insights regarding their unique sword intent.

Among the trio, Li Yuanba had held his rank for the shortest duration and possessed the lowest cultivation level, yet his casual observations during their discussion frequently left the other two deep in contemplation.

Naturally, these conversations remained somewhat surface-level; even with the best intentions, the nuances of one's sword intent are often impossible to fully translate into words.

While the three great cultivators enjoyed their tea and insightful banter, the nearly forty competitors gathered outside the resource point were far from relaxed.

With such a large group assembled, they remained locked in a state of mutual suspicion and anxiety, unable to find any peace while bracing for potential ambushes.

Despite the high tension, no one dared to strike first; ultimately, this was the resource point of the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion. The most logical approach against the defending experts was a mass assault to whittle them down.

Several days went by, until Li Yuanba finally detected the mature energy radiating from the Great Cultivator Spirit Medicine.

"It is beginning; I must bolster the defensive formation!" Li Yuanba announced as he rose.

He pulled out one hundred and eighty array flags, casting them into the deployment surrounding the resource point with fluid precision.

These flags were positioned according to the specific enhancements calculated by the IBMz15 for the local defensive array.

"Your mastery of arrays likely surpasses every Array Master within our Sect!" Cultivator Jian Tianyi exclaimed in admiration, sensing the sudden shift in the defensive grid.

Although such a setup could never withstand a sustained offensive from dozens of great cultivators at once, it was more than sufficient to thwart sudden, small-scale incursions.

Li Yuanba’s 'Chaos Sword Intent' flared, and a menacing aura of sword intent erupted from the resource point.

Grandmaster Wu followed suit, manifesting his 'Demon-breaking Sword Intent,' which surged toward the sky in tandem.

Lastly, Cultivator Jian Tianyi released his 'Void-breaking Sword Intent,' instantly overshadowing Grandmaster Wu’s presence and harmonizing perfectly with Li Yuanba’s 'Chaos Sword Intent.'

He stared at Li Yuanba’s 'Chaos Sword Intent' with visible astonishment, sensing the distinct echo of the 'Sword Intent Stele' radiating from it.

As a direct heir of the Jian family, he had stood before the 'Sword Intent Stele' on multiple occasions.

He knew intimately that the opportunity to receive the 'Sword Intent Stele' inheritance was fleeting, and grasping even one sword intent within those constraints was a monumental achievement.

To his knowledge, even gifted sword cultivators often required decades or centuries of repeating the trial to master a single sword intent.

Yet, Li Yuanba—having undergone the 'Sword Intent Stele' inheritance only once—had already mastered a formidable intent, one bordering on the most potent energies contained within the Monument itself.

He was left with nothing but awe for Li Yuanba’s innate talent in the Dao of the Sword.

"It is Jian Tianyi!" a voice screamed out, trembling with raw terror.

Initially, when Li Yuanba’s 'Chaos Sword Intent' and Grandmaster Wu’s 'Demon-breaking Sword Intent' appeared, the forty great cultivators were largely unperturbed.

This was largely because none of them had yet identified the unique signature of Li Yuanba’s 'Chaos Sword Intent.'

But the moment the 'Void-breaking Sword Intent' from Cultivator Jian Tianyi—a peak great cultivator—manifested, it exerted an immediate, suffocating mental pressure upon everyone present.

"The first sword intent belongs to Li Yuanba; I remember it!" another voice shouted in realization.

This particular cultivator had crossed blades with Li Yuanba in the past and finally recognized his 'Chaos Sword Intent' for what it was.