Cultivation is just so scientific!

Chapter 1368: Chapter 730: Extermination_2

"I am waiting for you and Li Yuanba in Hell!" The Nascent Soul of Great Cultivator Duan Zhang looked at Li Shiming and said.

A flash of lightning fell into the cage of light, but contrary to Great Cultivator Duan Zhang’s expectations, the light was merely a feint. The true force destroying Great Cultivator Duan Zhang’s Nascent Soul was the Heavenly Ghost.

Great Cultivator Duan Zhang’s Nascent Soul awaited death, surrendering all resistance. In fact, even if he wanted to resist, it was impossible under such circumstances.

But if Great Cultivator Duan Zhang had known his fate, that his soul would be devoured by the Heavenly Ghost, he would surely have fought to the death.

The result of being devoured by the Heavenly Ghost is complete annihilation of the soul, a death no cultivator can accept.

"No!" This was the final sound Great Cultivator Duan Zhang’s Nascent Soul emitted, filled with a sense of desolation and deep unwillingness; it was not the death he wanted.

The Heavenly Ghost gulped down Great Cultivator Duan Zhang’s Nascent Soul, terrifying spirit energy instantly invaded, affecting the Nascent Soul’s psyche, halting its self-detonation, and consequently eliminating the ability to self-detonate.

The self-detonation of a Nascent Soul results in complete destruction of the spirit and soul, with life wholly extinguished from this world. Thus, normal Nascent Soul Cultivators never resort to self-detonation even in the face of death.

Such was Great Cultivator Duan Zhang’s resolve, but unfortunately, it came too late.

The Heavenly Ghost specializes in targeting the soul and spirit, especially after it devours them, entering its dominion. Even a Great Cultivator’s Nascent Soul doesn’t possess much more defensive power than that of a Middle Stage Nascent Soul, thus easily susceptible to intrusion by the Heavenly Ghost.

Moreover, the Heavenly Ghost had previously gained multiple enhancements; this time, with the devouring of Great Cultivator Duan Zhang’s Nascent Soul, the benefits were considerable, necessitating time for the Heavenly Ghost to digest.

Li Shiming was not worried about the Heavenly Ghost growing too strong. After cultivating ’Heavenly Human Technique’, his spirit equaled the level of a Great Cultivator. As long as the Heavenly Ghost doesn’t suddenly break through to the fifth-grade, it remains under his control.

The Heavenly Ghost spat out a ’Heavenly Strike Thunder Hammer’, a soul crystal ring, then turned into a lump.

Li Shiming took the Heavenly Ghost into the Heavenly Person Cave Heaven; the Heavenly Ghost was to return to the body of Great Cultivator Luo Pei, using the Great Cultivator’s body for digestion.

Li Shiming picked up the ’Heavenly Strike Thunder Hammer’; it was a fourth-grade top-level Artifact Tribulation Treasure, exhibiting faint fluctuations of thunder rule power. It was clear this ’Heavenly Strike Thunder Hammer’ had been refined by Great Cultivator Duan Zhang over many years, infusing his comprehension of thunder rules into it.

"What a pity." He shook his head and put away the ’Heavenly Strike Thunder Hammer’.

This ’Heavenly Strike Thunder Hammer’ was Great Cultivator Duan Zhang’s life-bound treasure. Even if refined deeply, it’s only in relation to Great Cultivator Duan Zhang himself. For other Thunder Cultivators, the severer the refinement, the harder it is to erase Great Cultivator Duan Zhang’s influence.

He also took the soul crystal ring, but he wouldn’t check it here.

He was uncertain of the disturbances during his battle with Great Cultivator Duan Zhang, and how much attention it drew. His identity must not be exposed.

Feeling the energy within, he then performed ’One Step Ahead’, vanishing towards a distant place.

While fleeing, he contemplated today’s battle.

Today’s battle was his first truly fair fight against a super-powered Great Cultivator at full strength, and he slew him.

Speaking of fairness, it wasn’t exactly fair.

Li Shiming had some understanding of Great Cultivator Duan Zhang, but Great Cultivator Duan Zhang knew very little of his combat power and tactics. This informational asymmetry was the main reason for Great Cultivator Duan Zhang’s crushing defeat.

Throughout the battle, Great Cultivator Duan Zhang didn’t launch a single attack, which was telling.

Thunder Cultivator Duan Zhang’s attacks were the fastest; Thunder Cultivators’ attacks are nearly unavoidable.

Yet all his actions seemed previsaged by Li Shiming.

Li Shiming had combat aids, his life-bound treasure IBMz15 grew increasingly powerful alongside his spirit.

Before battles, IBMz15 would analyze based on enemy info, conducting rehearsals for all possible enemy responses and counter-methods.

During battle, IBMz15 provided real-time battlefield analysis, pinpointing the enemy’s weaknesses.

As long as Li Shiming and the enemy were at the same tier, he could employ overwhelming combat techniques to utterly defeat them.

Of course, Li Shiming was not without weaknesses, his realm inherently being one. However, ’Heavenly Human Technique’ largely compensated for all areas, nearing the level of a Great Cultivator.

But his cultivation time with ’Heavenly Human Technique’ was brief; even with IBMz15’s assistance, he couldn’t yet match veteran Great Cultivators in defense.

The defensive treasures he previously refined were now unsuitable for his current power.

And he hadn’t crafted new defensive treasures, leaving his defense reliant solely on his physical body.

With a body equivalent to a Body Refining Great Cultivator, he had some confidence to withstand standard Great Cultivator attacks, yet worried about paralysis from Thunder Skills of Great Cultivator Duan Zhang.

If the Thunder Skills paralyzed him, Great Cultivator Duan Zhang would easily finish him off.

Therefore, in battle with Great Cultivator Duan Zhang, Li Shiming employed optimal operations, using his advantages so precisely that Great Cultivator Duan Zhang couldn’t land a single hit.

While using Great Cultivator level attack tactics, he swiftly resolved Great Cultivator Duan Zhang.

Li Shiming returned to a location a thousand miles from Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion, releasing his avatar Li Yuanba.

"Thank you, fellow. Here are some Great Cultivator Spirit Pills for you to refine!" Avatar Li Yuanba spoke politely, though his actions weren’t the least bit courteous as he produced several jade boxes.

"Fellow, please act cautiously in the future!" Li Shiming accepted the jade boxes, nodded, and said.

Li Yuanba hesitated not a moment, deploying ’Limitless Horizon’ towards Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion.

He decided that he would always change direction repeatedly whenever outside.

He clearly realized that a Sword Cultivator had betrayed him, but such matters were difficult to investigate.

The Sword Cultivator divulged his whereabouts; a communication token suffices to deliver intelligence, whereas identifying the betraying Sword Cultivator requires activating Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion’s large array for surveillance, then setting a trap to induce the Sword Cultivator to betray intelligence once more.

He shook his head, shelving plans to seek out the Sword Cultivator for now, needing to enhance his power.

Li Yuanba returned to Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion. Just as he was about to enter his abode in Sword Cave Heaven, a figure appeared nearby.

"Greetings, Sword Elder!" He hastily bowed and greeted.

Only Sword Elder could move in such a manner in Sword Cave Heaven.

"You bear traces of Yuqing Sect’s Soul-locking Restriction Technique; what happened?" Sword Elder motioned for him to rise and inquired.

Sword Elder watched over Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion, his attention drawn instantly to any trace of foreign energy in Sword Cave Heaven.

After being captured by Great Cultivator Duan Zhang, Li Yuanba had two restrictions applied on him, an artifact restriction easily removed, simply requiring forced removal.

Great Cultivator Luo Pei merely waved his hand to dispel the artifact restriction, but Yuqing Sect’s secret technique restriction was far harder to remove.

Within Great Cultivator Realm, Great Cultivator Luo Pei was among the weakest, even leveraging Li Shiming’s familiarity with ’Yuqing Thunder Scripture’ to unbind the Yuqing Sect’s Soul-locking Restriction Technique demanded substantial effort.

Even then, traces of Yuqing Sect’s Soul-locking Restriction Technique lingered in Li Yuanba’s body, necessitating his slow erosion of them.

But Li Yuanba hadn’t expected Sword Elder’s sensitivity, still detecting remnants within his body.

It must be mentioned that Sword Elder’s heightened alertness is due to issues Li Shiming instigated.

From Fuliu Sect to Qianren Sect, Grotto Heavens of two major sects were broken into by cultivators, prompting vigilance among all sects possessing Grotto Heavens, Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion included.