Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1631 - 862: Departure

Ten months elapsed in the blink of an eye.

Within the Great Cultivator Realm, a period of ten months hardly qualifies as a genuine closed-door cultivation session.

Throughout this time, Li Yuanba successfully upgraded the Sword Intent embedded in all remaining Fourth Grade Energy Flying Swords atop Ten Thousand Sword Peak, transmuting them into Chaos Sword Intent.

This, however, does not mark the conclusion for the Sword Intent within these two thousand one hundred plus Fourth Grade Energy Flying Swords; as his mastery over Chaos Sword Intent deepens, he will be able to further refine the internal energy to even greater heights.

During these ten months, Li Yuanba took the opportunity to mingle with nearly every Sword Cultivator residing at the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion, fostering strong connections with them.

He was known for his agreeable nature; moreover, he was an Alchemy Master, specifically a top-tier one capable of crafting premium-quality Spirit Pills suitable for Great Cultivators.

Although he had recently offloaded all alchemy responsibilities to his core self, Li Shiming, this remained a secret known only to his master, Jian Wuwei, at the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion.

Every Sword Cultivator was eager to build a relationship with Li Yuanba the Alchemy Master. Furthermore, an invitation to his residence promised the luxury of savoring top-tier Fourth Grade Spiritual Tea—a rare delicacy in the Cultivation World—which was another major draw.

While the Cultivation World has been turbulent as of late, involving clashes at the Great Cultivator level, fatalities among this rank remain remarkably rare.

Unless a combatant is suppressed by overwhelming power and suffers an instant 'second kill,' most Great Cultivators possess life-preserving artifacts to ensure their safety.

As a general rule, unless parties are locked in a blood feud, disputes over resources rarely devolve into fights to the death.

This reality explains why Li Yuanba exercised restraint during his earlier missions.

However, upon reviewing the high-level intelligence regarding Great Cultivator missions provided by Jian Wuwei, he grasped the true lethality of these undertakings.

Missions categorized as top-tier for Great Cultivators typically center around resource grotto heavens. Since skirmishes occur outside the barriers, they do not jeopardize these treasures before the entrance is breached.

This unique setup grants top-tier Great Cultivators the freedom to engage without holding back.

Most significantly, these cultivators represent the pinnacle of their respective factions; slaying such a figure significantly hampers a sect's standing relative to its rivals.

Prior to Li Yuanba embarking on this top-tier mission, Jian Wuwei provided him with extra resources, underscoring the severity of the danger ahead.

Fortunately, Jian Tianyi is also participating in this mission, which eases the burden as the two Peak Sword Cultivators prepare to operate in tandem.

"Yuanba, it is time to depart!" Jian Tianyi’s voice projected into the cave abode from the outside.

"Brother Tianyi, I am fully prepared!" Li Yuanba stepped out of the cave, his presence at its zenith.

He had spent days meticulously refining his state of focus, treating this mission with utmost gravity, as it represented his official entry into the ranks of the Peak Great Cultivators.

The act of battling alongside other Peak-tier elites serves as a tacit acknowledgment of one's status within that prestigious circle.

"Let us use my flying boat; we shall converse as we travel!" Jian Tianyi gestured with a grin while summoning his high-quality Fourth-grade craft.

Li Yuanba immediately grasped his intent; the man was yearning for some Fourth Grade Spiritual Tea.

He was not stingy, having already gifted a box to Jian Tianyi previously.

Nevertheless, he could not provide an unending supply, as he needed to prevent other cultivators from deducing the true nature of his connection to Li Shiming.

For a figure like Jian Tianyi, while resources that aid his personal cultivation stage are rare, this top-tier Fourth Grade Spiritual Tea is certainly among the most coveted.

Even though he dared not openly demand more, he relished every opportunity to share a cup whenever the occasion arose.

"Yuanba, the fact that you managed to injure Ming Hai proves your offensive capabilities are formidable; do not concern yourself with protecting me in the heat of the fight, simply engage as you desire!" Jian Tianyi advised while savoring his tea.

Li Yuanba gave a slight nod, his Divine Sense silently tracking the data flowing from his satellite drone.

He was taken aback to observe nearly a dozen shadowy figures, all possessing strength approaching the Peak Great Cultivator level, already encircling the mission site.

While they might not all be at the absolute Peak, they were undeniably top-tier Great Cultivators.

Based on his current intelligence, this competition for the Spirit Realm Cave Heaven was strictly contained within the top factions of Central State, with no involvement from external continents.

This was partially because information regarding the Spirit Realm Cave Heaven had been tightly controlled within Central State. Even if external forces eventually heard whispers, they would lack the precise timing. By the time they analyzed the recent movements of the region's elite, they would already have missed the window when the resources within the Spirit Realm Cave Heaven reached maturity.

With travel from remote continents to Central State requiring nearly a month, any outsiders would certainly fail to reach the location before the peak resource period ended.

However, if the scramble for these treasures persists, it is highly likely that external continents will intervene during the next cycle of the Spirit Realm Cave Heaven’s maturity.