Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1744 - 918: Interrogation (Part 2)

With a nod, the phantom clone’s hand crackled with lightning, unleashing a bolt that struck Great Cultivator Yi Xiao. Though not his full 'Heavenly Strike Thunder Hammer,' the current discharge left the Great Cultivator defenseless and incapable of manipulating his spiritual power patterns.

The lightning coursed through Great Cultivator Yi Xiao’s body, simultaneously obliterating the souls of both his physical and nascent forms. His vitality extinguished, Great Cultivator Yi Xiao’s body plummeted to the ground.

The phantom clone moved with swift calmness, retrieving the soul crystal ring and his life-bound magical treasure from the fallen cultivator.

Great Cultivator Jiang Hao had not foreseen such decisive action, with the phantom clone ending Great Cultivator Yi Xiao’s life on the spot.

He watched as the phantom clone gathered the corpse, a moment of silent remembrance passing for his former sect brother.

Knowing Li Shiming’s tendencies, Great Cultivator Yi Xiao's remains would likely be refined into a corpse puppet. With Yi Xiao's demise, old disputes were settled, and Jiang Hao recollected their shared past.

He offered no requests, understanding his lack of standing to do so.

As Li Shiming and Great Cultivator Jiang Hao exited, they observed the distant battlefield had cleared, all cultivators having retreated to the grand flying boat.

It seemed they were simply awaiting the outcome of the interrogation and the subsequent decisions.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang, the matter is settled. Luanyang Palace will return immediately!" the Phoenix Palace Master announced upon Great Cultivator Jiang Hao's appearance.

"Phoenix Palace Master, there is something I must convey to you!" Great Cultivator Jiang Hao declared, presenting a jade scroll.

The phantom clone cast a fleeting glance at the scroll before turning away.

This was clearly Great Cultivator Jiang Hao's maneuver to involve Luanyang Palace against the Bitao Sect. Even with the Bitao Sect's losses in great cultivator strength, the Guiyuan Sect would still face immense pressure fighting them alone.

However, if Luanyang Palace joined forces, it would mean two great cultivators against Bitao Sect's one. Such a scenario would dissuade the Bitao Sect great cultivator from direct confrontation, making them more amenable to compromise and surrendering the 'Qingning Forbidden Scripture.'

The Phoenix Palace Master accepted the jade scroll, her divine sense scanning its contents before she calmly returned it to Great Cultivator Jiang Hao.

"Phoenix Palace Master, what are your thoughts? Guiyuan Sect is prepared to share this cultivation technique!" Great Cultivator Jiang Hao prompted.

"Luanyang Palace has no interest in the 'Qingning Forbidden Scripture.' We possess our own distinct heritage and do not seek to acquire external cultivation techniques!" The Phoenix Palace Master’s resolve was firm; she had no intention of prolonging the discussion.

The Phoenix Palace Master understood that despite the allure of the 'Qingning Forbidden Scripture,' it was fundamentally unsuited for Luanyang Palace's cultivation path.

Luanyang Palace’s techniques were developed in conjunction with the Red Gold Phoenix. The 'Qingning Forbidden Scripture,' conversely, was clearly more aligned with Guiyuan Sect's practices. Acquiring it would merely add another volume to their already extensive Book Collection Pavilion.

The ultimate beneficiary would be Guiyuan Sect, a transaction the Phoenix Palace Master refused to facilitate.

A flicker of disappointment crossed Great Cultivator Jiang Hao’s features as he departed the grand flying boat, returning to the Guiyuan Sect’s vessel.

"It appears Mr. Li also declined cooperation with Guiyuan Sect!" the Phoenix Palace Master remarked with a smile to the phantom clone.

"The Ten Thousand Beast Sect cannot afford to antagonize a superpower merely for personal gain!" the phantom clone explained.

Their initial confrontation with the Bitao Sect stemmed from their harboring of Great Cultivator Yi Xiao and their complicity in Yin Shilan's abduction.

This particular conflict with Bitao Sect left his actions beyond reproach and did not implicate the Ten Thousand Beast Sect.

However, engaging the Bitao Sect over a cultivation technique would alter that perception entirely.

It would signify the Ten Thousand Beast Sect's direct involvement in competing for resources against a major power, placing the sect at a disadvantage regardless of the outcome.

"Therefore, let Guiyuan Sect handle this matter. We shall depart!" the Phoenix Palace Master affirmed Li Shiming’s unspoken decision, her voice laced with amusement.

As Luanyang Palace and the phantom clone made their exit, the Guiyuan Sect's grand flying boat remained stationary, clearly preparing to apply pressure on the Bitao Sect.

Prompted by this, the Phoenix Palace Master sped up the massive flying boat, seeking to steer clear of the impending confrontation. Because the enormous vessel was exclusively utilized by female cultivators, the phantom clone took up residence on its uppermost deck. Upon entering his designated chamber, he brought forth the soul crystal ring belonging to Great Cultivator Yi Xiao. He harbored a degree of curiosity regarding the possessions of the rogue peak great cultivator from the Guiyuan Sect. However, the nascent soul of Great Cultivator Hua Ying from the Bitao Sect had not yet met its end, making its soul crystal ring inaccessible for the moment. This situation, nevertheless, was merely a temporary state; once his research reached its culmination, he would attend to Great Cultivator Hua Ying’s nascent soul. By employing his divine sense to probe Great Cultivator Yi Xiao’s soul crystal ring, the phantom clone was immediately struck by a singular sensation: 'poverty.' It was not that he was measuring Great Cultivator Yi Xiao’s wealth against his own—a wholly unnecessary comparison, as not even the amassed fortunes of a great cultivator within the entirety of the cultivation world could rival his. Having single-handedly achieved a monopoly in the crafting of Great Cultivator Spirit Pills, his wealth accumulated solely from alchemy rewards, exclusive of any alchemical withholdings, had rendered his fortune extraordinarily substantial. Rather, he was assessing Great Cultivator Yi Xiao’s financial standing against that of previous peak great cultivators he had vanquished; even those with the most modest wealth among them surpassed Great Cultivator Yi Xiao’s current holdings. Within the confines of Great Cultivator Yi Xiao’s soul crystal ring lay a Fourth Grade Upper Stage Flying Boat, a significant artifact in the cultivation world. Yet, aside from this boat and the Fourth Grade Top Ice Shield he utilized, there were hardly any other fourth-grade spiritual objects to be found. "How could he possibly be this destitute?" the phantom clone could not refrain from exclaiming. Perusing the spoils obtained from vanquished peak great cultivators had generally afforded him fleeting moments of surprise. This particular instance, however, offered no cause for delight, with no spiritual object managing to capture his interest. The spiritual objects contained within the soul crystal ring were even inferior to those possessed by many average great cultivators. What Li Shiming remained unaware of was that Great Cultivator Yi Xiao’s financial resources were not always so depleted; they had been significantly diminished through the employment of several great cultivators to assist in the abduction of Yin Shilan. Despite the tempting rewards Great Cultivator Yi Xiao had promised, he was compelled to provide certain benefits upfront. The compensation for six great cultivators had substantially drained his personal estate. Within the Guiyuan Sect, he was not a cultivator held in particularly high regard by those in power; his training by the sect had only commenced after the demise of Great Cultivator Lin Yuan, who had merely invested in his rapid ascent to become a peak great cultivator, leaving no substantial resource reserves behind. Relocating the soul crystal ring to storage, the phantom clone ceased dwelling on Great Cultivator Yi Xiao’s depleted estate; even if his fortunes had been abundant, it would have represented but a minor enhancement to his own. His focus then pivoted toward Great Cultivator Hua Ying’s nascent soul, which remained constrained, rendering it incapable of independent thought. He initiated contact with his core unit, the IBMz15, commencing a comprehensive scan of the nascent soul. Simultaneously, he began comparing it with the clone’s own body to formulate viable strategies. It was not long before the IBMz15 put forth a proposed plan. Upon scrutinizing the plan, he determined it was unsuitable for execution while in transit, necessitating his return to Li Shiming’s primary body for its implementation. Considering the protracted time required to escort the large flying boat of Luanyang Palace back to the Central State Continent, especially given his ultimate destination was the Ten Thousand Beast Sect on the Dongqi Continent. A separation appeared to be the more advantageous course of action, with the Golden Winged Dapeng facilitating a considerably swifter return journey to the Ten Thousand Beast Sect. Acting decisively on his conclusion, he conveyed his farewells to the Phoenix Palace Master, who offered no obstruction. He then summoned the magnificent Golden Winged Dapeng, commanding it to carry him away towards the distant, beckoning horizon.