Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1792 - 942: Soaring Through the Heavens (2)

Li Shiming remained unaware that the corpse refinement process was straying from the IBMz15 simulation and venturing into uncharted territory. Distinct cracking sounds, the unmistakable transformation of bones, echoed from the body of the half-step Great Power, Yang Xing. His body, levitated by the Corpse Refining Array, began to shrink instead of expand. Yang Xing, a man who once stood at nearly 1.9 meters, was now reducing to a mere 1.2 meters. Emerging from his back were a pair of skeletal wings, soon followed by a membranous covering that stretched across them. Li Shiming could only observe, meticulously recording every datum for later analysis. Yang Xing’s features contorted, morphing into a visage with a sharp mouth and protruding fangs, utterly unrecognizable from his former self. "Huh!" It was then that Li Shiming observed a fifth rule imprint manifesting on the transformed corpse. This fifth imprint appeared specifically on the wings, with a 'Space Rule Imprint' gracing each one. The sharp-mouthed, fang-bearing corpse now presented a being entirely beyond Li Shiming's comprehension, completely outside his control. The next critical stage commenced as the corpse began to nurture a soul fire, its heart slowly but powerfully starting to beat. Initially faint, the soul fire’s presence, upon its appearance, triggered Li Shiming’s sense of their contract, offering a measure of reassurance. Despite the many unforeseen circumstances, the reinforced master-servant contract held firm. The soul fire intensified, its strength exceeding that of a Late-Stage Fourth Grade Golden Corpse within a hundred breaths, continuing its relentless growth. Concurrently, the corpse's heart stabilized into a regular rhythm, circulating Qi throughout its being every ten breaths. Abruptly, the sharp-mouthed, fang-bearing corpse unleashed a piercing howl towards the heavens, its aura erupting and shattering the barrier of Late-Stage Fourth Grade, ascending to a new cultivation realm. At this juncture, Li Shiming felt a palpable repulsion from the heavens, a sensation transmitted through his contractual link with the corpse. He recognized this as the imminent arrival of the Heavenly Tribulation. Whether the corpse could withstand it or not, its appearance at least signaled the relative success of refining a 'Flying Night Demon.' However, gazing upon the transformed being, Li Shiming couldn't definitively confirm its identity as a 'Flying Night Demon.' The corpse deviated from textual descriptions of the creature, boasting an extra pair of wings and the ability to manipulate space. Unbeknownst to Li Shiming, the modification of the half-step Great Power's bloodline using IBMz15 was built upon considerable conjecture. While IBMz15 drew from numerous ancient texts, the information was largely ambiguous, lacking concrete details. Consequently, the 'Flying Night Demon' blood he synthesized bore no true resemblance to the actual creature. Nonetheless, in theory, it supported the characteristics of fifth-grade corpse refining blood; even with much of it speculative, the fifth-grade traits were indeed present. The use of this synthesized blood as a medium inevitably led to unforeseen transformations. The emergence of the sharp-mouthed, fang-bearing corpse was therefore not entirely surprising; the ability to refine a corpse at all was a success, and employing such hypothetical blood could potentially yield any monstrous outcome. Li Shiming prepared to apply the Thunder Resistance Secret Method to the corpse, a technique integral to his confidence in refining high-tier corpses. Enhanced by the 'Shenxiao Thunder Pearl,' this method, though not yet at the Great Power level, surpassed the efficacy of a peak Thunder Cultivation Master's own Thunder Resistance Secret Method. The existence of this Secret Method was the bedrock of his consistently high corpse-refining success rate. Yet, before Li Shiming could even initiate the application, the corpse flickered, instantly appearing in the sky beneath the gathering thunderclouds. Li Shiming's brow furrowed. While he hadn't commanded the corpse to accept his Thunder Resistance Secret Method, it also hadn't been instructed to abruptly ascend into the thunderclouds. This indicated that cross-grade corpse refinement still carried inherent risks. The sharp-mouthed, fang-bearing corpse howled defiantly at the thunderclouds, a clear act of provocation. Li Shiming would never engage in such rash behavior, as it would undoubtedly intensify the Heavenly Tribulation.

As the sharp-mouthed, fang-bearing corpse howled, the sky's thunderclouds visibly expanded, crackling with lightning.

A prickle ran up Li Shiming's neck, an instinct that this was the most potent Heavenly Tribulation he had ever witnessed.

While he was pondering this, the very first bolt of Heavenly Thunder plummeted downward.

The ghastly creature made no move to evade, absorbing the strike of Heavenly Thunder directly into its form.

A pained shriek escaped the sharp-mouthed, fang-bearing corpse as fissures spiderwebbed across its skin.

However, to the naked eye, these tears would seal themselves almost as quickly as they appeared, the onset and mending happening at a nearly matching speed.

"Such remarkable regenerative power!" Li Shiming could not help but voice his astonishment.

The rapid recovery of the corpse, he surmised, meant it could likely endure prolonged, grinding battles against any foe, provided it wasn't obliterated in a single instant.

With a deafening "Boom," the second wave of Heavenly Thunder slammed into the sharp-mouthed, fang-bearing corpse.

This impact not only ripped open its skin but also tore through the muscles lying beneath.

Yet, it immediately commenced its swift mending, repairing both skin and muscle tissue.

A third Heavenly Thunder descended, and the grievous injuries on the corpse now exposed its very bones.

Upon witnessing the sharp-mouthed, fang-bearing corpse endure three bolts of Heavenly Thunder, Li Shiming began to feel a flicker of hope. But then, he observed that the thunderclouds above showed no signs of dissipating; instead, they grew ever more menacing and dense.

It was in that moment he comprehended that this was no ordinary Golden Corpse Heavenly Tribulation, but a significantly more formidable variant.

The fourth Heavenly Thunder struck, and large sections of the corpse's flesh were obliterated, only to regenerate with great speed.

A span of twenty breaths passed between each thunder strike. No matter the severity of the preceding Heavenly Thunder's assault on the sharp-mouthed, fang-bearing corpse, these twenty breaths were sufficient for it to return to its optimal state.

By the time the eighth Heavenly Thunder struck, the corpse was in a lamentable condition. Only its head and wings remained intact, while the rest of its form had been mangled by the thunderous onslaught.

As the eighth Heavenly Thunder concluded, its regeneration process began anew.

This time, however, the damage sustained carried the destructive essence of Heaven and Earth Rules, significantly impeding its recovery.

Li Shiming's heart grew heavy with tension. It seemed that if it could withstand just a little longer, the corpse might overcome this Heavenly Tribulation.

Yet, he was powerless to assist the sharp-mouthed, fang-bearing corpse. He sensed that any interference on his part at this critical juncture would draw the ire of the Heaven and Earth Rules, making him a target.

Given his current defenses, any bolt of Heavenly Thunder would undoubtedly annihilate both his body and soul.

This realization prevented him from interfering with the corpse's tribulation. While he could have invoked the Thunder Resistance Secret Method before the ordeal began, it was already underway, and meddling now was impossible.

He was forced to place his faith in the sharp-mouthed, fang-bearing corpse's own resilience, though his optimism was waning.

Having endured past the eighth Heavenly Thunder, it was clear the corpse had reached its absolute limit, making survival against the final, mightiest ninth Heavenly Thunder an exceedingly grim prospect.

Suddenly, Li Shiming's figure blurred as he retreated several thousand meters.

The yet-to-descend Heavenly Thunder, amassing within the churning clouds, already posed a grave threat to him. Even though he was situated outside the primary tribulation zone, his instincts screamed that remaining stationary would likely expose him to devastating collateral damage.

At long last, the ninth Heavenly Thunder unleashed its fury—a foreboding dark-gold bolt, radiating an aura of utter annihilation.

Its impact felt like the end of days, as if the world itself was instantly drained of all color.

The sharp-mouthed, fang-bearing corpse instinctively folded its wings, drawing them around its battered and unhealed form, attempting to shield itself within.