Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1662 - 877: Omens of Fate (2)

While selecting this route brings dangers that could leave him without a single Heavenly Mechanism Treasure,

it promises fivefold returns, justifying the gamble entirely.

Furthermore, info from the stone meditation cushion confirms zero threats inside the Heavenly Mechanism Garden.

Thinking thus, he directed his other four Nascent Souls to lock onto distinct Heavenly Mechanism Treasures.

After the five Nascent Souls connected to the five Heavenly Mechanism Treasures, he applied the technique from the stone meditation cushion to harvest them.

Shortly after, beams of vibrant, multicolored radiance shot from far-off spots and fused into his form.

Even before inspection, spatial forces wrapped around his body, teleporting him beyond the Heavenly Mechanism Garden.

Li Shiming halted, probing the conditions inside himself.

Next to every one of the five Nascent Souls floated an energy mass, each containing a Spiritual Object.

Upon discerning the five Spiritual Objects distinctly, he recognized them as incredibly familiar items.

He'd gained them previously, yet their value remained immense—nay, their scarcity matched the Golden Winged Dapeng's.

These five Heavenly Mechanism Treasures turned out to be Cave Heaven Core items. Although he'd secured them earlier, extracting a Cave Heaven Core destroys its vitality, leading to gradual disintegration sans its nucleus.

Within the Cultivation World, every Cave Heaven holds immense worth, with superpowers owning but a handful.

Li Shiming understood that numerous Great Powers relied on Cave Heavens inherited from superpower legacies, not self-built.

Usually, an Inheritance Cave Heaven passes to a fresh Great Cultivator only upon a Great Power's demise, who employs Secret Techniques to rise as a Great Power.

Still, success isn't assured. Though it multiplies odds of becoming a Great Power exponentially, superpowers favor safer conventional advancements.

At a superpower Great Power's lifespan's end, they pick a normally ascended Half-step Great Power to inherit the Cave Heaven and truly become a Great Power.

Naturally, such Secret Techniques belong exclusively to superpowers. Lesser factions with Cave Heavens can't leverage them for ascension via Inheritance Cave Heavens.

Li Shiming guessed that Inheritance Cave Heavens fit for Great Power breakthroughs demand particular unique traits.

The five Heavenly Mechanism Treasures aligned with Five Elements Attributes: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth. Unknown if the Heavenly Mechanism Garden solely grows Five Elements Heavenly Treasures or if these were deliberately prepared this instance.

Additionally, their odd nature struck him—these five Heavenly Mechanism Treasures lingered in a half-energy form, permitting storage inside him.

Time ticking down, he picked one path to gather Great Cultivator resources. The other two spots? Time shortages barred exploration.

He bided his time until the Divine Palace ejected him.

Come the tenth day, Righteous Path's three Great Cultivators—Shen Ze, Ji Chuan, Liao Yi—reached their goal: the Heavenly Mechanism Garden itself.

Exhaustion etched the trio's faces, wounds starkly evident.

Ragged robes betrayed hard fights; soul crystal rings held mostly ruined magical treasures, even Shen Ze's natal treasure scarred.

"Finally made it!" Great Cultivator Shen Ze rasped out.

Thrilling elation surged in his tone, barely suppressed after such grueling efforts to hit the precise moment.

Luckily, the Golden Winged Dapeng stayed absent lately, letting the three Great Cultivators push onward undistracted.

To recoup delays, they sped up relentlessly, skipping Great Cultivator resource hunts.

Vital as Great Cultivator resources proved, they paled against the prizes they chased.

For those chances, they burned extra spiritual power, deploying carried treasures against barrier assaults.

Such rushed travel invited heaps of perils.

Every Great Cultivator burned multiple life-saving Jade Talismans from Great Powers—items of inconceivable worth in the Cultivation World.

Even their Fourth-Grade Magical Treasures cost dearly, but luck saw them hit the Heavenly Mechanism Garden on schedule.

"No fights required at the Heavenly Mechanism Garden; let's restore our energies pre-entry," Master Ji Chuan urged, swallowing a Spirit Pill.

"We gotta settle treasure priority before stepping in!" Great Cultivator Liao Yi declared solemnly, popping a Spirit Pill.

"Can't say how many treasures the Heavenly Mechanism Garden yields this round. Prior one gave three; by rights, more await, one per us. Water Element cultivator like me won't butt heads with you Fire folks. Water treasure shows? Mine. Else, I skip Fire grabs. Let me go first?" Great Cultivator Shen Ze proposed steadily to the pair.

Without Li Shiming's surprise interference mandating contracts earlier, they'd probably duel now for pick order.

Great Cultivator Shen Ze held clear edge: his picks avoided clashing with the other duo.

Water Element himself, while both rivals specialized in Fire Element.

Intentions voiced, he awaited their verdicts.

"Fine, Shen takes first dibs. Me and Ji Chuan? Null the contract, fight it out," Great Cultivator Liao Yi pondered aloud, tone heavy.

Contracts bind, but consensual fights sidestep violations.

Mutual consent to fight doesn't shatter the pact outright.

It preserves the contract while exempting combatants from its restraints.

"Mr. Liao, yield second slot for all my mission hauls," Master Ji Chuan offered, brows knit, knowing his battered state ill-suited battle.

"Or take my full gains for second pick!" Great Cultivator Liao Yi laughed softly.

Great Cultivator resources tempt, yet procurable outside. Heavenly Mechanism Treasures? Outside rarities, maybe millennium-long waits.

Crucial for Great Power ascensions—forsaking this shot might doom eternal regret, no second bids.

"Guess a duel it is!" Master Ji Chuan sighed softly.

"Wait—let me snag treasures first, witness your bout!" Great Cultivator Shen Ze cut in.

He refused their premature clash, not till treasures secured.

Duels could drag; post-travel, Heavenly Mechanism Garden entry window shrank perilously.

"Taoist Shen, go ahead; we'll hold!" Overkill as it sounded, they consented, both craving Great Cultivator Shen Ze's backing.

Grateful nods from Great Cultivator Shen Ze; he flashed a Jade Talisman, unsealed the gate, and dashed within.

Great Cultivators eyed each other suspiciously, dreading sneaky Garden rushes, contracts voided permitting free strikes.