Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1660 - 876: Target_2

Li Shiming followed the subtle remnants of a path marked on the ground.

These barely visible trails served as the clearest landmarks inside the Divine Palace, which is why the maps carried by the three Devil Cultivators relied on them too, making Li Shiming's route overlap heavily with theirs.

Since Li Shiming led the way ahead, numerous restrictions got triggered early on.

The restrictions in the Divine Palace require time to recharge their power, and near those activated in quick succession, no additional ones will emerge.

"Should we go in together or split up?" Master Qiu Zhi, who had remained mostly silent, inquired in a grave tone.

"Together, and each claims one using our own skills!" After some discussion, Grandmaster Leng Hong and Great Cultivator Zongjing settled on this plan.

Facing a late-stage fourth-grade Divine Beast one-on-one leaves both sides evenly matched in battle strength.

Yet the Divine Beasts in the Divine Beast Garden excel at wielding potent Talent Abilities, boosting their fighting prowess to terrifying levels while making them tougher opponents.

For absolute certainty, the optimal strategy involves a three-against-one assault: let one Great Cultivator first bind a Divine Beast, then shift to two-against-one so another can secure theirs.

The final Great Cultivator would depend on sheer fortune.

"Fine, let's see whose techniques prove superior!" Master Qiu Zhi nodded his approval.

Each of the three Devil Cultivators possessed unique tricks; they might not escape unscathed, but they could dominate the fight to test whose approach reigned supreme.

This setup offered a kind of fairness—Devil Cultivator style.

The trio pulled out their jade tokens, pressing them against the nearby wall, which revealed a concealed door.

Stepping inside, they reached the platform in the Divine Beast Garden.

Right upon entering the Divine Beast Garden and debating which Divine Beast to pick, a shocking sight left them frozen.

Near the platform, nine Divine Beasts clashed fiercely—a sight rarely witnessed.

But the issue arose the moment they passed through the door onto the platform: the nine Divine Beasts halted their brawl and fixed their gazes on the intruders.

Though the platform counted as a safe haven where Divine Beasts wouldn't assault them,

the creatures' sharp wits ensured they wouldn't resume battling among themselves, handing the three Great Cultivators an easy win.

Stared down by nine Divine Beasts, the trio knew they were secure yet felt their bodies stiffen in tension.

"What in the world is going on?" Grandmaster Leng Hong blurted out in fury.

They had toiled hard to reach this spot for contracting a Divine Beast, only to find nine right there, blocking any chance to claim one.

With nine Divine Beasts staring them down, searching became unnecessary—they could pick any.

However, contracting required subduing one first, and even if the three Devil Cultivators doubled their power, none dared face nine at once.

Every clash with a Divine Beast demanded utmost caution, given the lethal might of their Talent Abilities.

"Do we just stand here waiting?" Great Cultivator Zongjing, equally stunned, murmured to his allies.

"Waiting for what? A staring contest with these Divine Beasts?" Master Qiu Zhi shot back in despair.

Trapped in the Divine Beast Garden, Divine Beasts boasted incredibly long lives; years of deadlock would seem brief to them, but the three Devil Cultivators had mere days.

They'd already spent their single chance to access the Divine Beast Garden.

Leaving meant no return, trapping them in a bind.

This mess stemmed directly from Li Shiming's doings.

Li Shiming remained oblivious to it, with no such intent anyway.

He had bound the Golden Winged Dapeng, the Divine Beast Garden's mightiest, claiming the entrance zone.

No Divine Beast was dimwitted; they all knew the Golden Winged Dapeng frequently slipped out.

Moreover, as the top Divine Beast, it long commanded the entrance region, convincing others it held vital importance.

Once the Golden Winged Dapeng got contracted away, garden Divine Beasts started battling for top spot, centering their feud on the entrance.

Had the three Devil Cultivators arrived slightly later, victors would have emerged, possibly leaving wounded Divine Beasts in their path.

But they showed up exactly when the nine Divine Beasts ignited their fray, cutting it short prematurely.

Grandmaster Leng Hong eyed the nine Divine Beasts with burning reluctance, racking his brain for a way to snag one.

No scheme he devised held up against nine Divine Beasts.

Plus, his two fellow Devil Cultivators weren't fully aligned; any bold move might see them sabotage him.

The other two shared his frustration and helplessness.

"I'm heading out—staying achieves nothing!" Master Qiu Zhi declared first.

He spun on his heel without pause and strode through the door.

One Great Cultivator's exit didn't divert the nine Divine Beasts' focus from the pair left behind.

The beasts' goal was plain: no infighting until every human Great Cultivator vanished.

"Me too!" Great Cultivator Zongjing, loath as he was, turned to follow.

As the final holdout, Grandmaster Leng Hong stifled his rage and departed likewise.

Beyond the wall, the three Devil Cultivators regrouped, the wall's door now vanished.

"This mess wasn't supposed to happen!" Grandmaster Leng Hong growled deeply.

The Divine Palace's openings weren't isolated incidents, yet no such freak occurrence had ever hit before.

"Maybe it's tied to that Golden Winged Dapeng?" Master Qiu Zhi recalled its frequent sky appearances and shared his hunch.

"I'd say it's Li Shiming's fault. Even if the Golden Winged Dapeng acted oddly, nine Divine Beasts assembling right as we arrive screams Cultivator interference disrupting the garden." Great Cultivator Zongjing shook his head, offering his verdict.

"Damn it all—we never should've let Li Shiming lead!" Grandmaster Leng Hong endorsed Zongjing's view and snarled.

Regrettably, Divine Palace rules and Li Shiming's contract shielded him from their reach even if found.

Out of options, they pivoted to a secondary goal, but after the lost time, timely arrival seemed doubtful.

This round, they avoided Li Shiming's trail, hitting the usual restriction count that dragged their pace.

Should Li Shiming check their current speed, he'd realize his earlier drone satellite data was way off—it captured their tailing velocity.

Their present crawl was at best half their prior rate.

Yet Li Shiming ignored them entirely, hurtling toward his set destination.

He freed Master Luo Pei, Little Feng, and the Illusion Spirit Dragon; the latter two tanked restriction strikes while Master Luo Pei gathered roadside treasures.

Danger still nipped at Master Luo Pei, but speed trumped caution now.

Barring instant death, the 'Innate Wood' Divine Skill would revive him.

Though Divine Palace restrictions packed a punch, Master Luo Pei wore full defensive armor cranked to max: head, chest, left arm, right arm, half-body, left leg, and right leg pieces interlinked into spirit-treasure-grade protection.

Li Shiming had crafted this set for a late-stage Golden Corpse originally, but now it shielded Master Luo Pei.