Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1784 - 938: Erasure (Part 2)

His vanishing act from the Golden Winged Dapeng's back concluded, his form instantly materialized beyond the protective barrier of the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion's Cave Heaven Space.

The majestic Golden Winged Dapeng departed without requiring any directive.

With a singular stride, Li Yuanba found himself at the mountain gate, proceeding directly into the Sword Cave Heaven.

His immediate destination was the vicinity of Sword Elder's dwelling. No formal summons was necessary; Sword Elder possessed the innate ability to perceive any event unfolding within the Sword Cave Heaven's confines.

His audience with Sword Elder was contingent upon the Elder's availability.

Li Yuanba had already resolved that, should Sword Elder be otherwise occupied, he would proceed without delay to the Dongqi Continent to seek out Li Shiming.

Before the formidable treasures could be reclaimed by their former owners, he intended to either purge the spiritual imprints embedded within them or secure them within the dimensional space of Li Shiming's chamber.

The former option held greater appeal for Li Yuanba. He possessed a distinct advantage; as a sworn Sword Cultivator of the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion, his actions were inherently justifiable when faced with the combined might of cultivators from five paramount Sects.

By successfully eradicating the spiritual imprints from the treasures, any subsequent claims or objections from the powerful cultivators would be rendered futile.

"Enter!" Sword Elder's voice resonated, granting permission.

Simultaneously, the defensive formation surrounding Sword Elder's abode dissolved, revealing a clear passage for Li Yuanba's entry.

Upon entering the abode, Li Yuanba encountered a manifestation, a clone, of Sword Elder.

"Greetings, Esteemed Sword Elder!" Li Yuanba, with a profound bow, offered his respects.

"Yuan Ba, what matter brings you here?" the Sword Elder's clone inquired, a gentle smile gracing his features.

Sword Elder was well aware that Li Yuanba would not disrupt his seclusion unless faced with a significant concern.

"Esteemed Sword Elder, I implore you to examine these artifacts!" Rather than offering an explanation, Li Yuanba produced the treasures.

Sealed within delicate jade containers were the 'Infinite Fire Peak,' the 'Eye of the Storm,' and the 'Thunder Sound Bell.' Upon their presentation, Sword Elder's clone immediately perceived the essence of each item.

A peculiar expression crossed the face of Sword Elder's clone as he regarded Li Yuanba.

Observing that Li Yuanba's cultivation realm was at the Peak Great Cultivator stage, not yet the Mahayana Realm, he inferred that Li Yuanba had not directly plundered these esteemed cultivators.

"Wait a moment, I shall summon my true form; the process of purging spiritual imprints from these treasures demands considerable exertion!" Sword Elder's clone stated, foregoing any interrogation regarding the origins of the items.

It was an unwritten, yet strictly adhered to, tenet among the Sword Cultivators of the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion: possession was paramount, and the origins of any acquired item were of little consequence.

Engaging in such inquiries would, in their view, lead to an unbearable level of tedium.

Scarcely had Sword Elder's clone uttered these words when Sword Elder's true form materialized before them.

Upon recognizing each familiar treasure, a perpetual smile graced Sword Elder's countenance.

"Old Monk, your 'Thunder Sound Bell' now belongs to the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion!" With a swift emission of sword light directed at the 'Thunder Sound Bell,' the spectral image of an elderly monk materialized upon its surface, his laughter echoing with a hint of revelry.

"Amitabha!" The aged monk, with an air of resignation, uttered a single Buddhist phrase before fading from existence, his gaze conveying a sense of helplessness towards Sword Elder.

"Old Fire Monkey, the 'Infinite Fire Peak' has been duly accepted!" Sword Elder proclaimed, sending another beam of sword light towards the 'Infinite Fire Peak.' A fiery silhouette emerged, and Sword Elder spoke with amusement.

"Sword Madman, what business do you have with this artifact? Return it, and I shall offer compensation!" The powerful entity known as the Old Fire Monkey reacted with considerable vehemence, his voice raised in protest towards Sword Elder.

"This was acquired by my junior disciple; therefore, it rightfully belongs to him. Since when does a Sword Cultivator relinquish items that have been seized?" Sword Elder retorted with a hearty laugh.

The Old Fire Monkey, eager to press his argument further, found himself silenced as, with the spiritual imprint vanished from the 'Infinite Fire Peak,' he dissolved into nothingness.

Sword Elder then directed a stream of sword light at the 'Eye of the Storm.' This time, however, no manifestation of a powerful cultivator appeared within the artifact.

"How exceedingly dull; the company doesn't even grace us with their presence!" Sword Elder expressed his mild displeasure, finding the lack of interaction rather bland.

It seemed the formidable cultivator from the Feiyu Sect, fully cognizant of Sword Elder's peculiar sense of humor, had opted against appearing, thereby forfeiting a potential spectacle.

"Very well, Yuan Ba, all spiritual imprints have been purged. You may now reclaim full ownership!" Sword Elder returned the three artifacts to Li Yuanba.

"Esteemed Sword Elder, this confrontation involved the combined forces of Da Leiyin Temple, Infinite Sect, Beidou Sect, Guiyuan Sect, and Feiyu Sect, comprising thirty-one Great Cultivators. Four of these were at the Peak Great Cultivator level, and they had laid an ambush for me. These treasures were obtained from them during the encounter!" Li Yuanba bowed respectfully as he accepted the returned artifacts, providing a detailed account of the events.

Despite Sword Elder's apparent lack of curiosity, Li Yuanba felt compelled to offer a thorough explanation.

While Sword Elder might have engaged in jesting during the spiritual imprint removal and exchanged taunts with the powerful cultivators, Li Yuanba understood with absolute clarity that Sword Elder had willingly exposed himself to potential repercussions on his behalf.

Even with the aid of these treasures afterward, no major powers would come looking for him.

This was the benefit of having support, coupled with Sword Elder being a formidable Sword Cultivation Great Power; any issues that arose could be handled by Sword Elder.

"Did any of the thirty-one Great Cultivators remain?" Sword Elder inquired calmly, showing no surprise.

He was aware that Li Yuanba’s swift ascent had provoked animosity from other supreme forces, as they did not wish for the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion to nurture an excessively potent Sword Cultivator.

Nevertheless, he had not anticipated Li Yuanba becoming a target for five supreme forces so soon after achieving the Peak Great Cultivator stage.

As this was a conflict among the younger generation and the opposing side did not deploy their Great Powers, he, as a Great Power himself, could not intervene.

"They all remained!" Li Yuanba responded with a smile.

Upon hearing Li Yuanba’s answer, Sword Elder’s lips twitched slightly; this young man was more ruthless than he had been in his youth.

Yet, Sword Elder soon grasped the situation, his smile broadening.

"Good, any trouble stemming from this can be brought to me!" Sword Elder gestured dismissively.

Li Yuanba interpreted this as Sword Elder’s signal for him to depart, so he bowed and left the residence.

Following his departure, Sword Elder issued a series of commands.

The Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion did not possess a large number of resource points; their gains primarily came from acquisitions.

However, since the arrival of Li Shiming, a top Alchemy Master, the importance of Great Cultivator resource points had escalated.

The Central State Continent was inherently home to the most Great Cultivator resource points; for eons, eight supreme forces had dominated the Central State Continent, controlling these vital points.

But now, five of these supreme forces had unexpectedly lost a substantial number of Great Cultivators, particularly those at the Peak Great Cultivator level, leaving them temporarily without their full combat strength.

This presented an opportune moment for the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion to seize the resource points belonging to these five supreme forces, as retribution for their ambush of Li Yuanba.

Unbeknownst to Li Yuanba, the incident where he was targeted had enabled the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion to secure a significant portion of resources from the five supreme forces, thanks to prioritized intelligence.

He returned to his own quarters and examined the spoils from this undertaking.

His perspective had shifted; checking the spoils no longer brought him excitement.

Spiritual objects that other Great Cultivators would deem precious now appeared ordinary to him.

However, while inspecting the spoils from a Guiyuan Sect Great Cultivator, he discovered a familiar treasure within the soul crystal ring.

"Could this be the 'Heart Inquiry Rope'?" Li Yuanba exclaimed in surprise, gazing at the 'Heart Inquiry Rope' he had retrieved.

Li Shiming had encountered the 'Heart Inquiry Rope' previously; it was an exceptionally unique treasure capable of compelling cultivators to answer any question, irrespective of their cultivation level.

Given the resolute spirit common among cultivators, extracting secrets from them was usually an immense challenge.

Yet, with the 'Heart Inquiry Rope,' not only secrets but even a cultivator's most embarrassing recollections could be fully divulged.

Naturally, the 'Heart Inquiry Rope' possessed no offensive capabilities; its sole purpose was interrogation.

Li Yuanba shook his head, inferring the reason why the Guiyuan Sect possessed the 'Heart Inquiry Rope.'

It appeared their intention was to subdue him and use the 'Heart Inquiry Rope' to probe the secrets behind his rapid advancement.

Alas, even if he had truly been subdued, the 'Heart Inquiry Rope' would have had limited effect on him, as Li Shiming’s true form possessed the ability to remotely and forcefully seize control of this body at any moment.