Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1650 - 871: Cooperation (Part 2)

Li Shiming offered no reply this time, merely flashing a subtle smile.

Great Cultivator Shen Ze perceived his reluctance to respond and thus dropped the matter. Their shared accent from the exchange revealed a common origin, so to avoid offending him, he held back from further questions.

Li Shiming's showcase of mighty prowess started shifting the confrontation between Righteous Path and Demon Sect within the Divine Palace.

If Li Shiming chose the Righteous Path's side, the Demon Sect faced suppression; siding with the Demon Sect would bring dire straits to the Righteous Path.

By staying silent to Great Cultivator Shen Ze's inquiry, he granted relief to the three Devil Cultivators.

Li Shiming's bearing strayed from Righteous Path norms, hinting that their faction still held opportunity.

"Mr. Li, entering the Divine Palace demands everyone's unity. Grandmaster Leng Hong of the Wind Demon Sect cordially invites you to join us," Grandmaster Leng Hong extended the invitation.

"I’m only interested in the gains inside the Divine Palace; I rarely meddle in other affairs!" Li Shiming stated with a serene smile.

Grandmaster Leng Hong grasped that Li Shiming had no intent to align with the Righteous Path, so he went quiet and signaled to his two companion Great Cultivators.

The three Righteous Path Great Cultivators and the three Demon Sect Great Cultivators drew apart, positioning Li Shiming in the center.

Li Shiming strongly detested this spot; though neutrality was allowed, a clash between Righteous Path and Demon Sect would make him the initial mark.

He floated the ’Heavenly Strike Thunder Hammer’ above his head and freed the ’Traceless Illusion Sword’ from inside it.

Invisible and formless, the ’Traceless Illusion Sword’ slithered in the gloom like a viper; any Great Cultivator making the first move would face instant death from the ’Traceless Illusion Sword’.

None among the six Peak Great Cultivators there dared claim they could resist the ’Traceless Illusion Sword’ charged with ’Chaos Sword Intent’ at peak power.

He sensed his Sword Cultivator journey had veered astray.

Sword Cultivation became his tool for covert kills, stemming from refining the ’Traceless Illusion Sword’ as a Lifebound Flying Sword.

Discarding the ’Traceless Illusion Sword’’s edges would squander vast potential.

His Sword Cultivation path diverging didn't trouble him much, with Li Yuanba—his pure Sword Cultivation clone—setting the pure standard.

"Mr. Li, you go first?" Great Cultivator Shen Ze motioned toward the entrance.

"You first!" Li Shiming answered steadily.

Even after uncovering the door's unlocking secret, he yearned to witness the other Great Cultivators' method.

Great Cultivator Shen Ze saw no need to argue; who opened it was trivial—partly probing Li Shiming, partly showing courtesy.

Stepping up to the door, he pressed a jade token onto it.

The door's copper nails began glowing, and Li Shiming watched the guarding formation's nodes unlink one after another.

As the copper nails' formation powered down entirely, the door parted without a whisper.

This colossal door, soaring past thirty meters, creaked open in perfect silence. The solemn hush gripped the Great Cultivators, who held their breaths lest they shatter it.

The six Great Cultivators possessed some Divine Palace lore, yet this was their debut true venture inside, their mental fortitude barely outstripping Li Shiming's.

Li Shiming locked onto the jade token in Great Cultivator Shen Ze’s grip, picking up its strange energy pulse.

Instinct drew his sense to the transmission ring on his finger, mirroring that identical odd fluctuation.

Having led him here, the transmission ring doubtless matched—or outdid—the jade token's role in Great Cultivator Shen Ze’s hand.

Good thing he skipped his own trick for the door. Great Cultivator Shen Ze’s way was the proper path, unlike Li Shiming’s scheme to smash the formation.

Door swung wide, Li Shiming peeked in to find sheer darkness, absolute void.

Still, spatial tremors hovered over the threshold, igniting his intrigue—he guessed a distinct space awaited beyond.

A Righteous Path Great Cultivator and a Demon Sect counterpart bounded across together, swallowed by the shadows.

Spotting the Righteous Path and Demon Sect's quiet pact, Li Shiming surged after without pause or word to the lingering Great Cultivators.

He rejected trailing these Great Cultivators, since spatial shifts lagged Cultivators briefly.

Short as that pause was, any who exploited it spelled huge peril for him.

Unlike the other six with their paired entry scheme for cross-faction checks—shielding followers—he stood alone, tempting Righteous and Demon Great Cultivators unchecked.

His current standoff with the six hinged on Thunder Cultivator might, but his realm lagged, defenseless against sudden Peak Great Cultivator strikes.

Li Shiming appeared; too pressed to scan around, he eyed warily the two ahead.

The duo hadn't foreseen his entry—a Righteous and Demon pair, bound mutually, they faltered briefly and missed striking Li Shiming.

"Mr. Li, restrictions lurk everywhere here—stay utterly cautious!" the Righteous Path Great Cultivator cautioned.

"Thank you!" Li Shiming thanked him.

He spotted the Righteous Path and Demon Sect Great Cultivators on white bricks; save these glaring whites, the rest melded into a unified expanse.

A blazing sun hung high, blanketing the floor in endless woods.

A towering tree nearby entered his Divine Sense reach; probing it sent his heart racing.

Fourth Grade spirit tree, Lower Stage no less—its fringe placement promised elite spirit trees further in.

Beyond spirit trees, other spirit plants or spiritual medicines might thrive, explaining the six Peak Great Cultivators' plunge into the Divine Palace.

Divine Sense sweeping the spirit tree triggered danger sense, yanking it back at once.

The moment it retreated, a vicious gust whistled near, nearly slicing his Divine Sense.

"Restriction!" The Righteous Path Great Cultivator's warning replayed; his Divine Sense had tripped it unwittingly.

"Incredibly sharp danger sense!" the pair marveled inwardly.

Divine Sense igniting a restriction yet dodging the backlash needed prior warning; activation left no escape time.

Divine Sense pulled in, Li Shiming shrank from loosing it freely.

Not locating the restriction sowed deep unease.

He ramped up ’Divine Vision’ fully, calling on lifebound artifact IBMz15 to pinpoint the triggered restriction.

"Restrictions in the Divine Palace evade detection; strike to stall them, buying retreat time!" The Righteous Path Great Cultivator, aiming to bond with Li Shiming, shared restriction tactics.

"Skip ordinary artifacts for strikes; only spirit treasures shield against backlash. Battling restrictions just grants scant dodge window!" The Demon Sect Great Cultivator, not to be outdone, offered Li Shiming further insights.

Li Shiming's abrupt entry had upended the Righteous and Demon sects' outer plans. After a tea-cup's worth of talk with the two, the next Great Cultivator pair finally stepped in.