Cultivation is just so scientific!

Chapter 1354: Chapter 723: Acknowledging the Master (Part 2)

This arrangement was originally excellent, but perhaps even the Great Power did not anticipate the emergence of something like the Treasure Lotus Hall, an ancient relic that could shield the spiritual imprint from connection to the main body.

This allowed the shadow manifested after the spiritual imprint was attacked to lose the support of the main body, turning into a hollow shell without the ability to think.

It isn’t that the Great Power couldn’t inject a certain consciousness into the spiritual imprint, but dispersing consciousness is not ideal for the Great Power; it can be damaging, particularly for those needing to consider issues of life span.

Li Shiming was startled, but the Heavenly Ghost wasn’t frightened. If this shadow could truly connect with the Great Power, perhaps the Heavenly Ghost wouldn’t dare act recklessly, but now it’s merely a shell created by the spirit, devoured by the Heavenly Ghost in one gulp.

After devouring the shadow, the spiritual imprint vanished.

The ’Jiguang Xunying Boat’ lost its master, and the Heavenly Ghost was full, its belly bulging, its body swaying slightly.

Li Shiming was surprised, thinking there was something wrong with the Heavenly Ghost. However, as he connected with the Heavenly Ghost through soul link and sensed its situation, he felt relieved.

An imprint of the Great Power, though its spiritual energy wasn’t vast, was of extremely high quality.

A portion of the Great Power’s spiritual energy could almost equate to a hundred portions of a Great Cultivator’s spiritual energy. This is just the energy conversion ratio, not accounting for the influence of the Great Power’s spiritual energy quality on the Heavenly Ghost.

Li Shiming shook his head with a smile; the Heavenly Ghost had benefited greatly, its cultivation likely to advance significantly.

He directed the Heavenly Ghost to rest aside, and the Heavenly Ghost flew into the body of Great Cultivator Luo Pei, whose body could help the Heavenly Ghost quickly digest the obtained spiritual energy.

Li Shiming glanced at the ’Jiguang Xunying Boat’. He could confirm that the ’Jiguang Xunying Boat’ was the vehicle of the White Emperor Sect’s Great Power.

However, that didn’t stop his interest in the ’Jiguang Xunying Boat’. The Great Power was indeed extremely terrifying, but the closer he interacted, the more he realized the distance between the Great Power and ordinary cultivators.

This distance isn’t just about cultivation and status but also about how the Great Power rarely leaves the Grotto Heaven. Even if they do, it’s only for a short time before returning to the Grotto Heaven.

He didn’t know the reason, but it’s clear that the Great Power of the Cultivation World is more of a deterrent than a conventional combat power.

If you want to utilize the Great Power’s strength, it must be at the life-or-death juncture of the sect, or if another force comes knocking.

So Li Shiming doesn’t need to worry about being called out by the Great Power of the White Emperor Sect if he masters the ’Jiguang Xunying Boat’.

Without hesitation, he cast the Master Recognition Technique onto the ’Jiguang Xunying Boat’. As the Master Recognition Technique entered the ’Jiguang Xunying Boat’, he felt a connection form between it and himself.

The spiritual power requirement to drive the ’Jiguang Xunying Boat’ was high, but with Great Cultivator Luo Pei around, the problem of spiritual power was solved.

After recognizing the ’Jiguang Xunying Boat’, he received information from it, giving him a deep understanding of it.

If Great Cultivator Luo Pei provides the spiritual power supply, the travel time from West Yan to the Central State Continent can be reduced from one month to five days.

This speed enhancement made him feel amazed.

This is a medium-sized flying boat capable of long-distance journeys. Although he mastered the Divine Foot Skill, ultra-long-distance flight was impractical.

The Divine Foot Skill’s ’Heavenly Distance in a Step’ consumes less spiritual power, but extended use would still consume considerable spiritual power. Furthermore, without defensive flight over dangerous ocean territories, spirit beast attacks were likely.

The ’Jiguang Xunying Boat’ was different; it could withstand certain attacks. Even if suddenly ambushed by spirit beasts, it could withstand the assault.

Though not a defense-specialized flying boat, the ’Jiguang Xunying Boat’ was a Great Power’s vehicle, capable of withstanding multiple Great Power attacks if driven by the Great Power.

If driven by a Great Cultivator, it could endure several attacks at the Great Cultivator level.

With the ’Jiguang Xunying Boat’, Li Shiming could greatly reduce travel times between continents.

While the Heavenly Ghost was devouring the spiritual imprint, in a Grotto Heaven of the White Emperor Sect, Great Power Xuan Yi, a middle-aged man with black beard, awakened from deep contemplation, his eyes full of questions.

Great Power Xuan Yi barely trained; he spent most of his time comprehending rules.

Great Power-level resources were extremely scarce even in the Cultivation World. Without the help of cultivation resources, at this realm, training effects diminished significantly.

To enhance strength required another method, namely continually deepening rule comprehension to strengthen his Grotto Heaven.

Not long ago, he lent out the ’Jiguang Xunying Boat’ and then fell into contemplation again. He assumed a Great Cultivator with twelve Nascent Soul Middle Stage core sect members would capture Li Yuanba, a Nascent Soul Middle Stage Sword Cultivator.

Despite Li Yuanba mastering the Divine Foot Skill and with the ’Jiguang Xunying Boat’s help, capturing Li Yuanba shouldn’t be difficult.

Great Power Xuan Yi did not concern himself with this matter. Entering a contemplative state, the White Emperor Sect dared not disturb him, not even reporting Master Shi Dong’s fall timely.

Of course, even if reported promptly, the ’Jiguang Xunying Boat’ could not be withdrawn. With the Treasure Lotus Hall’s isolation, Great Power Xuan Yi couldn’t contact the ’Jiguang Xunying Boat’ at the time.

Though usually uncontactable, clearing the ’Jiguang Xunying Boat’s spiritual imprint informed him of its disappearance.

Great Power Xuan Yi withdrew his mind from rule contemplation, now aware of the situation.

The only master-recognized artifact left with someone else, namely the ’Jiguang Xunying Boat’, meant a cultivator had cleared its spiritual imprint.

He pondered for a moment, though he rarely used the ’Jiguang Xunying Boat’, it represented his dignity. Losing it required understanding the cause.

He contacted the intelligence head of the White Emperor Sect, quickly learning of the situation’s development and discovering Master Shi Dong’s demise.

"I shall see who has taken my artifact!" Great Power Xuan Yi remarked softly.

He ordered the White Emperor Sect Intelligence Department to mobilize all resources to investigate the ’Jiguang Xunying Boat’s whereabouts.

Clearing his spiritual imprint could only mean a Great Power acted or the person was skilled in the spiritual domain.

Regardless of whether it’s a Great Power or an adept in the spiritual domain, their numbers are few in the Cultivation World. If even a hint is left, the White Emperor Sect Intelligence Department will find them.

But neither Great Power Xuan Yi nor the Intelligence Department guessed the perpetrator, clearing the spiritual imprint, was the unique Heavenly Ghost.

Great Power Xuan Yi wouldn’t personally investigate over the ’Jiguang Xunying Boat’; it wasn’t worth it.

Unbeknownst to Li Shiming, he continued scanning the ’Jiguang Xunying Boat’ with Divine Sense.

He currently examined advanced artifact refinement techniques, different from his own, as an Artifact Refining Master.

The refining technique of the ’Jiguang Xunying Boat’ far surpassed all refining legacies Li Shiming had seen. Refined by the Great Power, it was directly endowed with the Speed Rule Imprint.

Sadly, Li Shiming couldn’t replicate the Speed Rule Imprint, just like the one on Li Yuanba’s Xingyi Sword. Despite being his Nascent Soul’s Lifebound Flying Sword, he couldn’t replicate it.

On Xingyi Sword, the Speed Rule Imprint was perceivable because of its lifebound flying sword status and his refinement involvement, allowing Li Shiming to sense it.

But for the ’Jiguang Xunying Boat’s Speed Rule Imprint, he recognized it only due to familiarity with Xingyi Sword’s imprint, unable to sense it directly.

Replicating the Speed Rule Imprint required mastering it personally.