Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1754 - 923: Stalemate (Part 2)

Complex, intricate runes covered the enormous hand as he expertly manipulated it. These markings, emanating from the colossal hand, seeped into the very essence of the phantom doppelganger's form.

Only after this intricate procedure did he release his grip, leaving the phantom doppelganger adrift, its corporeal control completely surrendered.

Truth be told, even without any direct intervention, the phantom doppelganger's residual strength posed no significant threat to him.

Regardless of any perceived weakness, a cultivator at the half-step Great Power stage remains a formidable entity. Within the confines of his Grotto Heaven, he reigned supreme, an omnipotent deity dictating all.

Existing within the Grotto Heaven, the phantom doppelganger was entirely at his whim; a mere thought could command its every action.

"Su Tong is truly pathetic!" Having concluded his maneuvers, the half-step Great Power, Lian Lei, grumbled aloud in his displeasure.

In his estimation, the predicament of being confined was solely attributable to the incompetence of Master Su Tong.

He had, after all, successfully ensnared the most potent phantom doppelganger within his Grotto Heaven. As a Thunder Cultivator affiliated with the esteemed Yuqing Sect, Master Su Tong should have been more than capable of not only repelling the cultivators of the Ten Thousand Beast Sect but also achieving an escape.

Unbeknownst to Lian Lei, when Li Shiming perceived the machinations against him through the phantom doppelganger's senses, his immediate conclusion was that the opposing force must possess extraordinary might.

Consequently, he promptly unleashed four Golden Corpses in the late stage of their cultivation. This sudden intervention was so impactful that Lian Lei, despite having secured the phantom doppelganger, was instantly compelled to obliterate Master Su Tong with the combined might of these four powerful entities.

While Lian Lei cast blame upon Master Su Tong, he himself felt a sense of helplessness. The surrounding space was currently sealed, and any attempt to breach it by attacking from within the Grotto Heaven would necessitate passage through the Cave Heaven Anchor Point Carrier.

With the space anchor points now sealed, his offensive capabilities were rendered impotent, unable to precisely target anything beyond his immediate vicinity.

This impotence was magnified after a subsequent attempt revealed that the sealing of the space anchor points had mysteriously intensified severalfold.

Therefore, even a forceful assault was impossible, as the spatial seal had so severely constricted his connection to the wider Cultivation World outside the Grotto Heaven that it nearly severed it entirely.

"Li Shizhen, lift the spatial seal outside, or face my displeasure!" The half-step Great Power, Lian Lei, fixed his intense gaze upon the phantom doppelganger, issuing a chilling threat.

The phantom doppelganger met his stare with an expression of detached resignation, offering no discernible reaction.

A cold, humorless chuckle escaped Lian Lei. Though he hadn't employed his more unorthodox methods of tormenting cultivators in quite some time, his expertise remained undiminished.

His form flickered, reappearing beside the phantom doppelganger. He placed a hand crackling with lightning upon its body.

The lightning coursed into the phantom doppelganger, unlike conventional electrical energy, this variant was imbued with the power to inflict exquisite pain upon cultivators—a sinister technique honed by Lian Lei in his formative years.

The instant Li Shiming registered the searing pain, he meticulously severed the sensory connection to the phantom doppelganger.

As the lightning permeated its form, the phantom doppelganger convulsed uncontrollably, its muscles twitching in relentless spasms.

However, with Li Shiming having severed the sensory link, the phantom doppelganger retained only a phantom sense of instinct. Devoid of true pain, its tremors and twitches were nothing more than involuntary responses to the invasive lightning.

Witnessing the phantom doppelganger's apparent persistence, Lian Lei amplified the flow of lightning. Yet, despite his escalating efforts, he could not elicit even a solitary whimper of agony from his captive.

"Such resilience! I acquired some rather... unique techniques from Devil Cultivators in my youth. It appears they shall be put to use on you now!" The half-step Great Power, Lian Lei, ceased the electrical assault, his voice deepening with grim resolve.

He unleashed a dark, insidious energy that infiltrated the phantom doppelganger's system, immediately commencing a corrosive process throughout its entire being.

This particular technique, borrowed from the repertoire of Devil Cultivators, promised not mere pain, but a spectrum of utterly unbearable suffering.

Once again, however, his endeavors proved fruitless; the phantom doppelganger remained impassive, utterly unresponsive.

Subsequently, the half-step Great Power, Lian Lei, resorted to a myriad of other methods, even employing insidious soul-torturing techniques, until finally, he found himself completely bereft of any further means to afflict the phantom doppelganger.

Although the phantom doppelganger was visibly affected by the prolonged torment, the sustained infliction of suffering exacted a considerable toll on its physical integrity.

Lian Lei exercised a degree of restraint, conscious of the phantom doppelganger's fragility. He deliberately moderated the intensity of his torment, lest it perish prematurely from the onslaught.

"Such an indomitable will! Yet, what purpose does your perseverance serve? The Yuqing Sect will undoubtedly dispatch cultivators. With you immobilized here, the Ten Thousand Beast Sect stands no chance against their onslaught!" Observing the futility of his punitive measures, Lian Lei shifted his strategy, resorting to psychological warfare.

Li Shiming re-established the sensory link with the phantom doppelganger. Upon reconnection, he became acutely aware of the injuries sustained by the phantom doppelganger's physical form.

Thankfully, the most agonizing phase had passed. The pain stemming from its current injuries, he noted, was not overwhelmingly intense.

"Yuqing Sect dares not venture to Dongqi Continent!" the spectral doppelganger declared with unwavering certainty.

Lian Lei could only look with helplessness at the stoic phantom, finding himself temporarily unable to counter it.

He had exhausted all forms of torture previously and, therefore, could not bring himself to truly end the phantom doppelganger now.

He remained silent, anticipating a rescue from Yuqing Sect.

Within his thoughts, Li Shiming had been apprehended, and he expected Yuqing Sect to dispatch cultivators to retrieve the Cave Heaven Anchor Point Carrier.

Noticing Lian Lei’s silence, the phantom doppelganger seized the opportunity to meticulously examine the Grotto Heaven's environment.

The Grotto Heaven showcased signs of development, housing both potent Thunder Rules and various fundamental rules. However, these basic rules were of a low level, serving only to enhance the existing rule system within the Grotto Heaven.

His gaze was drawn to the tempestuous thunderclouds overhead, where flashes of lightning illuminated the sky.

As a cultivator at the Peak of the Great Cultivator realm and a master of the 'Yuqing Thunder Scripture,' he possessed the keenest perception when observing the Thunder Rules present in this Grotto Heaven.

Of course, for Lian Lei, a flawed half-step Great Power, there weren't many aspects worth emulating.

Nevertheless, as a subject for study, the Thunder Rules within Lian Lei’s Grotto Heaven still held some value for research.

Days turned into weeks, and Yuqing Sect continued to await news from Lian Lei, yet no information regarding his whereabouts emerged.

Furthermore, with the comprehensive investigation carried out by Ten Thousand Beast Sect, Yuqing Sect’s intelligence network on Dongqi Continent suffered significant setbacks.

The key to exposing Yuqing Sect’s operatives lay with Li Shiming.

Li Shiming had secretly enlisted the aid of several powerful cultivators by offering lucrative Alchemy rewards, a feat that far surpassed the intelligence-gathering capabilities of Ten Thousand Beast Sect. In addition to their exceptional power, these individuals facilitated an exchange of information, swiftly identifying Yuqing Sect’s intelligence personnel operating on Dongqi Continent.

While Yuqing Sect remained in the dark regarding information from Dongqi Continent, Li Shiming's persistent Alchemy endeavors for Great Cultivators across the land indicated to them that he had not fallen victim to the half-step Great Power, Lian Lei.

Time elapsed swiftly, and over the span of two years, Yuqing Sect exhausted all avenues in their attempts to investigate Master Su Tong and the half-step Great Power Lian Lei, but their efforts yielded no results.

During these two years, Li Shiming resided within the suspended dwelling of Ten Thousand Beast Sect, sharing his life with Yin Shilan.

However, he had partitioned several of his consciousnesses to meticulously analyze the Thunder Rules contained within the Grotto Heaven of the half-step Great Power Lian Lei.

Through the phantom doppelganger’s visual and sensory input, he studied the Thunder Rules present in Lian Lei’s Grotto Heaven clouds, thereby refining his own understanding of Thunder Rules.

Notwithstanding Lian Lei's misguided path, his comprehension of Thunder Rules still surpassed Li Shiming's.

Regarding any potential flaws within Lian Lei’s Thunder Rules, with the assistance of IBMz15 in the analysis, Li Shiming could sidestep these pitfalls, thereby averting a fate similar to Lian Lei’s.

Lian Lei could scarcely have imagined that, with his phantom doppelganger ensnared within the Grotto Heaven, the very rules governing it were being continuously absorbed and understood by Li Shiming.

Leveraging this newfound comprehension, Li Shiming significantly enhanced his grasp of Thunder Rules.

Under conventional circumstances, breaching the Grotto Heaven of a half-step Great Power is virtually impossible, as it pertains to their future cultivation path, where even the slightest interference could precipitate dire consequences.