Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1812 - 952: Discovery (Part 2)

After bowing to Cultivator Chu, Lin Nian took his leave, preparing to depart from the mountain.

Just then, a piercing cry split the air, and a magnificent golden bird materialized within the Thousand Bird Sect’s formation.

While the Thousand Bird Sect’s formation wasn’t exceptionally powerful, it had been fortified over millennia by countless generations of cultivators. The idea that it could be breached so directly had never crossed the minds of the two Great Cultivators.

The missions undertaken by Li Yuanba primarily involved locating targets; the actual battles consumed only a fraction of his time.

On this particular day, after pinpointing Lin Nian’s location, he arrived at the Thousand Bird Sect. He first announced his presence with the Jian Family Sword Light. Then, utilizing the Golden Winged Dapeng, he shattered the formation’s defenses, allowing instantaneous entry into the sect’s core.

Upon spotting Lin Nian, Li Yuanba unleashed a flash of sword light. Lin Nian's head was severed from his body, while the 'Xingyi Sword,' imbued with 'Chaos Sword Intent,' simultaneously destroyed his Nascent Soul.

His divine sense then secured Lin Nian’s corpse, the final piece to conclude the mission.

"The Thousand Bird Sect shows remarkable audacity by harboring a cultivator hunted by Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion!" Li Yuanba declared sternly to Cultivator Chu once the mission was complete.

"Senior, I was entirely unaware of Lin Nian’s affiliation with Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion. Had I known, I would never have dared to offer him sanctuary!" Cultivator Chu hastily explained, his voice laced with urgency.

Li Yuanba cast a frigid gaze upon him, flicked his hand to release an orb of energy, and then vanished instantly, carried away by the Golden Winged Dapeng.

Cultivator Chu felt his heart pound erratically. He eyed the energy orb Li Yuanba had discarded; though its nature was unknown, he was certain it portended ill fortune.

The Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion was notorious for its ruthless enforcement, imposing severe penalties on any who dared to shelter their adversaries.

It became chillingly clear that the energy orb emitted by Li Yuanba was the punishment the Thousand Bird Sect was about to endure.

As Cultivator Chu pondered this grim realization, the energy orb fragmented, transforming into a multitude of razor-sharp Wind Blades.

Being the closest, Cultivator Chu was prepared, hastily erecting a defensive shield of fourth-grade, high-stage quality before him.

His brief moment of relief was shattered by a searing pain that shot through his mind.

The formidable fourth-grade, high-stage defensive shield proved as fragile as paper; a Wind Blade sliced through it effortlessly, hurtling towards him without the slightest hesitation.

With no time to evade, he could only twist his body, hoping to mitigate the inevitable impact.

The Wind Blade grazed his left arm. Ordinarily, such an injury would pose no life-threatening risk to a Great Cultivator.

However, at the precise moment of impact, an unfathomably terrifying Sword Intent surged through his physical form and his Nascent Soul.

"It’s Li Yuanba!" It was only then that Cultivator Chu understood the identity of the Great Cultivator behind the Jian Family Sword Light.

He had heard tales of Li Yuanba’s fearsome prowess and knew his Sword Intent was rumored to be incredibly potent.

Yet, today, he witnessed the true terror of Li Yuanba’s Sword Intent firsthand—it far surpassed any rumor—but he could no longer relay this knowledge to others.

As his life ebbed away, Cultivator Chu watched the Wind Blades, born from the dispersed energy orb, obliterate a significant portion of the Thousand Bird Sect’s structures.

No cultivator standing in the path of those Wind Blades managed to survive.

Nonetheless, Li Yuanba had shown a degree of restraint; not an overwhelming number of Thousand Bird Sect cultivators fell directly to the Wind Blades.

This devastating attack from Li Yuanba was executed using the 'Eye of the Storm' technique.

His objective was achieved: the destruction of the Thousand Bird Sect's mountain gate and the annihilation of its foremost Great Cultivator.

Even though the direct casualties among the Thousand Bird Sect cultivators were relatively few, the damage inflicted was far more severe than a simple massacre.

With Cultivator Chu gone and their mountain gate severely compromised, the remaining cultivators of the Thousand Bird Sect were in no position to defend their vast domain.

What fate now awaited the Thousand Bird Sect? Dissolution, or perhaps being absorbed by more powerful forces?

Li Yuanba felt no particular triumph in completing the task. There was virtually no combat enlightenment gained, merely a contribution rendered to Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion.

At that precise moment, the device connected to the drone satellite system flashed a crimson alert.

This red warning on the drone satellite system signified the highest level of danger, indicating an adversary Li Yuanba could not overcome.

He swiftly retrieved the device to ascertain the situation being monitored by the drone satellite system.

His gaze immediately fell upon a vast, distorted region – a phenomenon he had only previously witnessed with the appearance of a Great Power Avatar, and even then, the affected area had been considerably smaller than this.

"Could it be that a terrifying entity, a Great Power, has personally appeared?!" Li Yuanba stammered, his voice filled with disbelief.

The analysis from IBMz15 indicated a high probability of encountering an entity at the Great Power level.

Fortunately, the mysterious distorted region that materialized on the West Yan Continent did not venture in his direction.

Li Yuanba let out a subtle exhale of relief, but his expression quickly turned somber.

This was because the trajectory of this formidable presence was directly towards the Yuqing Sect. Regardless of the Great Power's identity or intentions, their destination implied a significant connection to the sect.

Furthermore, how many Great Powers within the entire Cultivation World possessed the capability to traverse such vast distances with such speed? This suddenly appearing Great Power was undoubtedly more than meets the eye.

After a moment of intense contemplation, Li Yuanba commanded the Golden Winged Dapeng to swiftly alter course, heading in the opposite direction.

He eventually halted its flight above the coastline of the West Yan Continent, a location that still allowed him to maintain a connection with the drone satellite system monitoring the mainland. Moving further out over the sea would sever this vital link, leaving him ignorant of the Great Power's movements.

From this vantage point, he could utilize the 'Crossing Void Shuttle' to plunge into the ocean, facilitating an escape by merging with the watery depths.

A silhouette streaked through the sky, hurtling towards the Yuqing Sect's mountain gateway. Its velocity dramatically outpaced that of both Li Shiming and Li Yuanba.

The flying speed achieved by Li Shiming and Li Yuanba was virtually unparalleled within the Cultivation World, with only the truly exceptional Great Powers capable of surpassing them.

This individual was indeed a Great Power, a remarkably rare and unfettered Free Great Power.

Great Power Leng Luo had journeyed from a considerable distance, having received fragmented intelligence from Great Power Luo Yuan.

Due to the inherent limitations and distortions in long-range communication, Great Power Luo Yuan's message could not provide a detailed account of the Yuqing Sect's situation, only conveying a dire warning that the sect was in grave danger.

Upon observing the Nascent Soul cultivators lingering suspiciously around the Yuqing Sect's mountain entrance, Great Power Leng Luo's displeasure towards Great Power Luo Yuan began to mount.

Since when had unauthorized individuals, these mere rabble, been permitted to loiter outside the Yuqing Sect's sacred grounds, let alone appear to be conducting some form of patrol?

He refrained from immediately eradicating these Nascent Soul cultivators, opting instead to seek clarification from Great Power Luo Yuan first.

He breached the barrier of the Cave Heaven Space, and upon crossing through, an unsettling realization dawned upon him.

The isolating effect of the Cave Heaven Space barrier had diminished to an alarming degree, seemingly lacking the crucial enhancement provided by a protective formation.

Then, his gaze fell upon the Yuqing Sect's mountain gate, and he struggled to reconcile the sight with his memories.

At the hallowed grounds of the Yuqing Sect's mountain gate, only a few scattered wooden and stone structures stood forlornly on a barren, flat expanse.

The former mountain gate of the Yuqing Sect, while perhaps not possessing breathtaking scenery, had at least exuded the grandeur befitting an immortal family's establishment.

Yet now, the entrance was devoid of any proper architectural presence; those revered sect buildings, passed down through generations, had completely vanished.

What caused him even greater astonishment were the cultivators who remained within the Yuqing Sect's domain.

According to his sensory perception, the Yuqing Sect was left with a mere three hundred and forty-five cultivators. Among them, only three individuals were identified as Nascent Soul Middle Stage Practitioners.

This depleted force could no longer be considered the once-mighty Yuqing Sect; even sects of lesser stature, medium-sized ones, boasted more numerous and potent cultivators.

Emanating from those remaining three hundred and forty-five cultivators, Great Power Leng Luo detected an overwhelming aura of desolation, a profound sense of hopelessness and despair regarding their future.

"Hmph!" He then detected a subtle yet pervasive radioactive energy permeating the Yuqing Sect's mountain gate.

This peculiar radiation seemed to be dispersed to every nook and cranny of the sect's entrance, yet remained deeply concealed, as if emanating from beneath the earth.

Within such a radioactive environment, all spiritual essences would inevitably be gradually eroded, eventually becoming completely polluted and stripped of their inherent spiritual nature.

"What in the heavens has transpired here?" Great Power Leng Luo questioned aloud, his voice laced with bewilderment.