Cultivation is just so scientific!

Chapter 68 Interception (Seeking Recommendations, Seeking Monthly Votes!)

Li Shiming stood on the deck of the Flying Boat, with white clouds beneath his feet and the boundless void before him, where the heaven and earth intersected in a line.

Even in his past life, he had never seen such a sight with his own eyes.

Therefore, whenever he had the chance, he would stand on the deck to appreciate the rare beauty.

It was a perk of his duty, as the thirty youths inside could only stay on the first floor every day.

Apart from a designated area for washing up, they were confined to a single room for the rest of the time.

It seemed that the Sky Sea Sect was using this method to inform the young that the first step in cultivating was to endure the life of confinement.

The first floor of the Flying Boat was under the greatest protection of the Array to prevent the youths from coming to the deck, for their own good.

Outside on the deck, there was only a single layer of the Arrayʼs protective shield, which couldnʼt block the cold wind from biting at oneʼs skin.

Mortals could not bear it on the deck; only cultivators with Spiritual Power within themselves could move about freely.

It wasnʼt that the Flying Boat couldnʼt protect the deck, but that it was unnecessary to waste energy doing so.

Li Shimingʼs gaze swept across the void ahead as the IBMz15 in the engine room sent out an alert.

The IBMz15 was connected to his five senses, constantly running environmental comparisons.

This had become his habit, though he hadnʼt expected to encounter an anomaly on the Flying Boat.

He quickly entered the IBMz15 in his mind to check what the anomaly was.

It was a patch of clouds ahead that was floating in the air, seemingly very normal.

But with the data comparison from the IBMz15, it was discovered that the cloud was moving in a cyclic pattern.

In nature, while such events might occur, clouds moving in a continuous cycle were definitely problematic.

Li Shiming put on his visor, took a surveillance probe in hand, and activated the infrared mode towards the front.

Due to the distance, the infrared mode was extremely inaccurate, yet the unusual temperature differences that appeared in the sky were enough evidence for him of a problem.

He put away the visor and surveillance probe, the Spiritual Power in his hand fluctuated, and the talisman given to him for the Flying Boat instantly exploded.

The Flying Boat, which had been in motion, suddenly shook, transitioning from flying to a stationary state.

The youths on the first floor turned into tumbling gourds, and some unlucky ones even got hurt, letting out bursts of screams.

However, Junior Master Zhaoʼs actions were quicker, his figure flashing next to Li Shiming in an instant.

”What did you find?” Junior Master Zhao asked in a deep voice.

He didnʼt think Li Shiming was fooling around; in these past days, Li Shiming had acted very maturely and had completed the tasks he assigned along with the two Qi Refining disciples very well.

Senior Brother Ma and Senior Brother Wu ran out, and upon hearing Junior Master Zhaoʼs question, they too looked towards Li Shiming, waiting for his explanation.

”Junior Master Zhao, I noticed that there is something unusual about that cloud there!” Li Shiming pointed at a patch of clouds in the distance and said.

Your adventure continues at empire

Junior Master Zhao looked towards the distant clouds, which at first glance seemed normal due to the distance. However, with Li Shimingʼs hint, he soon noticed the anomaly.

”Li Shiming, you did very well, now get back inside the boat!” Junior Master Zhao said, his eyes deep and sharp as he gazed into the distance.

Just as Li Shiming was about to return inside the boat, the void in the distance cracked open, and five figures flew out.

The cloud, as well as the surrounding sky, shook slightly, and then the cloud disappeared, seemingly without any other changes.

But it was clear to everyone that there were cultivators setting up a trap in the void, just waiting for them to pass through.

Li Shiming detected the trap in time, thwarting the other cultivatorsʼ plans, and thus proactively flew out of the trap.

Junior Master Zhao didnʼt show any sign of surprise, as he rose into the air to meet the approaching cultivators.

Senior Brother Ma and Senior Brother Wu exchanged glances; one of them commanded a longsword, and the other summoned a paper crane and followed.

Li Shiming lacked the ability to fly; he didnʼt heed Junior Master Zhaoʼs advice to enter the boat, preferring to observe the battle situation first.

At this moment, boarding the Flying Boat would be meaningless, for if Junior Master Zhao and the two Senior Brothers were defeated, the fate of him and the youths inside the Flying Boat would be in the hands of those cultivators.

”How did the Xuanming Sect find out about this route?” Junior Master Zhao asked loudly as he neared the five cultivators.

Their flight path had been decided before leaving their sect, opting for a route that would steer clear of the Xuanming Sectʼs known area of conflict.

If it werenʼt for accurate intelligence, the Xuanming Sect would not have dispatched a Foundation Establishment Cultivator and four late-stage Qi Refining disciples to intercept their Flying Boat.

”Hehe, you donʼt need to know, because you wonʼt be able to return; not just you, the disciples on the Flying Boat behind you will join our Xuanming Sect!” the cultivator of the Foundation Establishment Stage on the other side said with a shrill laugh.

Even from a great distance, Li Shiming still found the laughter grating, like a knife scraping against stone, making one feel nauseous and uncomfortable upon hearing it.

He saw that both Senior Brother Ma and Senior Brother Wu staggered, and had it not been for Junior Master Zhao casting two spells to protect them, perhaps just the laughter of the opposing Foundation Establishment Cultivator could have made the two Senior Brothers fall from the sky.

Li Shiming had never encountered such a strange power before; he recorded the voice of the opposing Foundation Establishment Cultivator, pondering how to deal with it.

Because he was connected to the IBMz15, his thought process was immensely fast, and in an instant, he thought of a possible countermeasure.

He pulled a chant called ʼThe Great Compassion Mantraʼ from the IBMz15, playing it through his senses.

The sound of ʼThe Great Compassion Mantraʼ was audible only to him; others could not hear a hint of it.

It was unclear whether the ʼThe Great Compassion Mantraʼ was effective, or if most of the sensory resources were engaged by the IBMz15, but his discomfort vanished.

Although the ʼheheʼ laughter continued, it could no longer make him feel uncomfortable.

”You think I wonʼt be able to return, but do you know this is the Sky Sea Sectʼs territory, and you havenʼt considered that you might not be able to return yourself by venturing so deep in?” Junior Master Zhao was not at all startled; instead, he laughed back in response.

His laughter diluted the effects of the opposing Foundation Establishment Cultivatorʼs ʼheheʼ laughter, relieving Senior Brother Ma and Senior Brother Wu quite a bit.

”Brave words! I thought the Heavenly Sea Sect was full of cowards; it seems we are in for a proper fight today!” the opposing Foundation Establishment Cultivator said, full of killing intent.

”Uncle Dai, come out and meet the devils of the Xuanming Sect together!” Junior Master Zhao called out towards the Flying Boat, ignoring the opposing Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

”Junior Zhao, I was still hoping to watch you fight this devil a bit longer, but it seems you are really in a hurry to return to the sect!” A figure rose into the air from the Flying Boat, riding a swordʼs light as they flew out.

It was only then that Li Shiming realized that Junior Master Zhao wasnʼt the only one on the Flying Boat; there was also Uncle Dai.

It seemed that this mission was not merely about retrieving new disciples but also included a plan against the Xuanming Sect.

Otherwise, a mission to retrieve new disciples wouldnʼt necessitate the involvement of two Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

Lacking any power to choose, both Li Shiming and the thirty young men had their fates in the hands of the Sky Sea Sectʼs cultivators; they could only hope that the Sky Sea Sectʼs cultivators would resolve the trouble quickly.