Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1652 - 872: Exploration (Part 2)

Great Cultivator Shen Ze spearheaded the group, departing from the white-tiled zone and pressing forward on a subtle trail winding through the hills and woods.

Merely five steps in, a Wind Blade erupted without warning, slicing fiercely at Great Cultivator Shen Ze.

Li Shiming activated ten brains, each sustaining a ’Thunder Fall Skill,’ enabling him to summon thunderbolts nearly instantly with just a thought.

A resounding ’boom’ echoed as the lightning clashed head-on with the Wind Blade.

The lightning endured for half a breath before the Wind Blade fully dispelled it, yet that brief moment allowed the other Great Cultivators to unleash their own assaults.

Diverse spell barrages struck the Wind Blade, not only stopping its momentum but swiftly draining its power.

As the second lightning surge hammered the Wind Blade, it finally crumbled, dispersing into fragments of energy.

Li Shiming observed the Wind Blade vanish and noted the six Great Cultivators easing up.

Evidently, each restriction unleashed only a single strike. It stood to reason; if one restriction could fire repeated attacks of that intensity, even six Peak Great Cultivators couldn’t endure, and more would simply perish.

"Teaming up with Mr. Li was indeed wise—we’ve truly countered the restriction’s assault!" Great Cultivator Shen Ze boomed with a booming laugh.

Not only him; every Great Cultivator from Righteous and Devil Paths brimmed with joy.

From past accounts, when six Great Cultivators ventured inside, they exhausted their spells to fend off the restriction’s attack, forcing all six to fall back at once.

Retreating nonstop, particularly amid restriction barrages, offered no assurance against activating fresh traps.

Thus, leading the exploration or covering the rear both posed immense perils.

However, Li Shiming’s presence let their combined strikes utterly dismantle a restriction’s onslaught.

Put differently, with caution, no retreat was necessary, securing their safety and opening up further exploration.

Now, Li Shiming sent his Divine Sense into the map jade scroll provided by Great Cultivator Shen Ze.

This crude map spanned roughly two mountaintops, marking two routes and numerous restriction spots.

Matching it against the fresh restriction, he realized the latest one wasn’t listed anywhere.

The map’s key role was steering Great Cultivators clear of misguided paths.

At minimum, prior traversed routes carried lesser hazards.

"A Spiritual Medicine find—solid beginning, promising sign!" Great Cultivator Ji Chuan extracted a tool to unearth a Spiritual Medicine from the soil.

The surroundings masked the Spiritual Medicine’s aura superbly, hiding it until one drew near.

Moreover, no Great Cultivator risked Divine Sense sweeps here, ramping up the challenge of spotting treasures.

Great Cultivator Ji Chuan retrieved a jade box and stowed the Spiritual Medicine within.

Li Shiming distinctly recognized it as Great Cultivator Spirit Medicine.

"Mr. Li, we’ll split Spiritual Medicine finds equally at set intervals," Great Cultivator Shen Ze clarified, lest Li Shiming entertain other ideas.

This setup promoted equity; otherwise, with three Righteous Path Great Cultivators up front, they’d likely hog all finds.

After a brief halt, the team advanced once more.

Nearly every ten paces yielded Great Cultivator treasures; restrictions clustered thickly at times—one per step—or spaced out over dozens of steps.

Though no novice in cultivation, Li Shiming marveled at the Divine Palace’s riches.

Great Cultivators gathered only what suited them, yet Fourth Grade bounties abounded: spirit trees, spirit blooms and herbs, even ground stones as Fourth Grade Spirit Jade.

Such an abundance of Fourth Grade resources in the Divine Palace defied belief.

Frequent restriction clashes slowed their progress to a crawl.

Great Cultivators favored deliberate steps over reckless haste that could cost lives.

Li Shiming at last detected an oddity in the Divine Palace: post-attack, his Spiritual Power Pattern recovered at a snail’s pace.

Even High-level Spirit Pills restored far less here than outside.

Actively cultivating to replenish Spiritual Power yielded dismal results too.

Evidently, the ambient spiritual energy evaded absorption by cultivators, like a sealed realm despite the dense aura.

Aware now, Li Shiming grew cautious with his energy use.

Boasting five Nascent Souls, his go-to was ’Thunder Fall Skill,’ a thrifty single-target spell in Thunder and Lightning Magic.

Particularly with ’Shenxiao Thunder Pearl’ boosting ’Thunder Fall Skill,’ he expended minimal spiritual power for amplified strikes.

Traversing one mountaintop consumed three full days.

"Let’s pause here awhile!" Great Cultivator Shen Ze proposed.

None of the Great Cultivators objected; Li Shiming spotted the marked rest point on the map, a spot used by ancestors.

A massive boulder stood there, where several Great Cultivators settled.

Great Cultivator Ji Chuan displayed the three-day haul, and with their sharp memories, all Great Cultivators recalled the exact yields.

Great Cultivator Ji Chuan divided the spoils—mostly Great Cultivator Spirit Medicine, plus some Fourth Grade Top Materials.

Shared among seven Great Cultivators, each claimed a bountiful share.

"This haul surpassed all hopes!" The Demon Cultivation Sect Master’s skeletal face cracked a faint smile; even smiling, he looked less fearsome as he spoke.

"All thanks to Mr. Li!" Devil path’s Grandmaster Leng Hong brandished his portion, declaring.

Their early grudge over Li Shiming’s addition had flipped to gratitude.

Li Shiming’s aid boosted their speed and slashed risks dramatically.

This netted each more loot, topping ancestors’ records by over twenty percent.

That twenty percent mattered greatly; Great Cultivator resources were rare gems. Even unusable ones traded in sects for essentials.

In the break, thrilled by gains, Great Cultivators chatted freely.

From talk, Li Shiming gleaned their sects’ names, skipping queries on locations.

The others figured he knew, so omitted details.

These six Peak Great Cultivators hailed from six unfamiliar sects to Li Shiming.

From Central State Continent know-how, only top superpowers bred Peak Great Cultivators.

Besides, Li Shiming sensed these Peak Great Cultivators sought more than mere Great Cultivator resources.

Peak Great Cultivators craved them less; at that realm, rarer treasures beckoned.

Though unspoken, he intuited: the Divine Palace forged necessities for Peak Great Cultivators to break through to higher realms.

Li Shiming pulled out the map jade scroll anew; past two mountaintops lay blank void.

Any true treasures awaited beyond those peaks.

Abruptly, danger prickled; it loomed from above.

Great Cultivator Shen Ze and others felt it too. He flicked his hand, his treasure mirror glowing to shield all Great Cultivators.

High overhead, a colossal golden eagle circled, radiating late-stage Fourth Grade Divine Beast menace.

Normally, seven mighty Great Cultivators would shrug off such a beast, but amid restriction-riddled terrain, battling it spelled huge trouble.