Cultivation is just so scientific!

Chapter 188: Chapter 140 Turning Point_2

It was an excellent opportunity to reduce his activities within the sect and devote his energy to cultivation and learning.

He deeply realized that strength was everything. Whether he became a Foundation Establishment Cultivator or a high-level Array Master, he would not be subjected to unfair treatment.

“This is quite interesting!” While he was integrating knowledge of formations, he stumbled upon a passage within the knowledge that made him speak to himself.

Formations and stars are deeply interconnected; many formations are arranged according to the stars.

This particular passage contained descriptions about the Thirty-Three Heavens.

Above 3000 zhang is considered One Layer Heaven; thereafter, each interval marks the next layer, with fierce winds separating each.

These winds pose danger to cultivators’ bodies, and Spiritual Power can easily be scattered by these winds.

The text’s description of the Thirty-Three Heavens was scant, only mentioning the concept and the fierce winds.

This fundamentally contradicted Li Shiming’s theories about the sky from his previous life and was tied to another significant plan of his.

“It seems I need to find some information about the Thirty-Three Heavens!” said Li Shiming, shaking his head reluctantly.

He didn’t want to ask for help, but the information about the Thirty-Three Heavens was crucial, so he needed to consult Junior Master Zhuge.

IBMz15 issued a warning, and through monitoring, Li Shiming saw two cultivators outside Eagle Beak Island.

One of them was Deacon Xu from the Law Enforcement Hall, and the other was a stranger.

Just as Li Shiming was puzzled, Deacon Xu sent a ray of light into the Array.

Li Shiming’s figure returned to his cave dwelling. He casually grabbed the invitation card sent by Deacon Xu through the Array, indicating a very formal visit.

He activated the small Mountain Protection Array, allowing the two cultivators to enter Eagle Beak Island, and then came out in front of his cave dwelling.

“Mr. Li, by the command of the Sect Leader, I have brought Yun Song to see you!” Deacon Xu, upon seeing Li Shiming, hesitated momentarily on how to address him, eventually using a term from the Cultivation World that didn’t necessitate consideration of status.

Being a Foundation Establishment Cultivator himself, it was normal for him to call Li Shiming by his name or as a junior nephew.

But the issue was that he had learned from the Sect Leader about today’s matters; if Li Shiming was indeed Elder Yin’s son-in-law, even the Sect Leader would have to start calling Li Shiming a junior brother.

Li Shiming did not pay attention to Deacon Xu’s address. What concerned him was the accompanying Foundation Establishment Cultivator, Yun Song.

“Does Yun cultivator belong to that Yun Family?” he asked coldly, a rejecting look on his face.

“Mr. Li, please allow me to speak first, I come with the utmost sincerity!” Yun Song hurriedly said.

“Mr. Li, the Sect Leader has left the decision up to you!” Deacon Xu added from the side.

“What could there be left to discuss between me and the Yun Family?” Li Shiming asked in a grave voice while manipulating the formation.

He had been tricked once before, nearly killed by an ambush from Yun Gang of the Yun Family. Although the formation here was not as strong as the Sect’s Formation, it could hold off attackers long enough for him to retreat into his cave.

“I am here on behalf of the Yun Family to apologize. Yun Gang, who attacked you, will remain on the Heavenly Sea frontline until he dies in battle. All mid-level and above of Yun’s Trading House will be treated as defectors and punished accordingly. This compensation, delivered jointly by Peak Master Zhao and the Yun Family, hopes to obtain your forgiveness,” Yun Song uttered humbly, bowing deeply.

As he spoke, he held out a box in his hands and presented it to Li Shiming.

Li Shiming had not expected the situation to change so drastically after a month; how could the matter that even the Sect Leader said was beyond handling suddenly shift?

Nevertheless, this was good news, as it meant he wouldn’t have to worry about retaliation from the Yun Family.

As for what Yun Song had said, the mere presence of Deacon Xu from the Law Enforcement Hall confirmed its authenticity.

Li Shiming accepted the box, which was small but heavy in his hands.

He opened the box and saw two things inside: one was a familiar jade bottle, the kind the sect used to store Foundation Establishment Pills.

If Yun Song hadn’t been deceitful, that jade bottle would contain none other than Foundation Establishment Pill(s).

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Another item was a magical artifact, a somewhat rare piece of personal armor.

Li Shiming touched the personal armor with his finger and was suddenly startled—it was a super-grade magical artifact.

Despite his complaints about the excessive spiritual power consumption of super-grade magical artifacts that prevented him from unleashing their full power due to his strength,

a super-grade magical artifact is still super-grade, and a normal cultivator getting one could use it up to the Foundation Establishment Stage.

Currently, many of the sect’s Foundation Establishment Cultivators are also using super-grade magical artifacts, and spiritual artifacts to a sect’s Foundation Establishment Cultivators are as significant as super-grade magical artifacts are to the sect’s Qi Refining Cultivators.

Defensive super-grade magical artifacts had once been auctioned by the Hidden Dragon Trading House, fetching a price of over three hundred thousand spirit stones, in addition to a Foundation Establishment Pill. This compensation package was much stronger than the previous one hundred and fifty thousand spirit stones and was also more sincere.

“I trust the sect’s decision and the Law Enforcement Hall!” Li Shiming casually put away the box and said to Yun Song.

Yun Song’s face showed a look of relief, now that his task was finally complete.

In order to provide these two compensations, the Yun Family had paid a tremendous price.

“As long as Mr. Li is satisfied, we won’t impose any further!” Deacon Xu, seeing that matters were settled, suggested leaving with a smile.

Li Shiming saw the two Foundation Establishment Cultivators out from the Formation and could hardly wait to explore the contents of the jade bottle with his spiritual thought, confirming that it indeed contained a Foundation Establishment Pill.

You can’t blame him for being eager – he already had two Foundation Establishment Pills, and with this one, it made three.

Three Foundation Establishment Pills theoretically made up the minimum requirement for a three spirit root seeds to advance to the Foundation Establishment Stage, plus he had the advantage of being of Primordial Yang constitution, along with the top-grade First-Grade Breaking Realm Pill given by Yin Shilan.

With such resources, he would dare to attempt the breakthrough even if he reached the Qi Refining Ninth Level.

For a cultivator of Qi Refining Fifth Level strength to have gathered all the resources needed for advancement into the Foundation Establishment Stage—plus coming from a humble background—it was probably only him.

It’s estimated that even for those top-tier cultivators with influential backgrounds, their elders wouldn’t hand over something like a Foundation Establishment Pill when they were at the Qi Refining Fifth Level.

Feeling great, he thought about seeking guidance from Junior Master Zhuge and so he took out the Jade Flying Boat and headed towards the sect.

Spirit Mechanism Pavilion, Li Shiming didn’t know how the three high-level Array Masters were assigned, but every time he visited over the past two years, it was Junior Master Zhuge who was present.

“Li Shiming, what brings you here? Did Gen Peak look for you?” Junior Master Zhuge asked with a smile.

Li Shiming couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, realizing that nothing could really be kept secret within the sect; Junior Master Zhuge already knew about the incident that had just happened.

“Thank you for your concern, Junior Master!” He thanked earnestly.

He was very clear about how Junior Master Zhuge treated him, going so far as to fall out with Gen Peak to support him.

“Alright then, go ahead and collect your spirit stones and other formation resources later, the sect is large and issues are inevitable. Once you become strong enough in the future, you can change whatever you want!” Junior Master Zhuge waved his hand as he spoke.

“I’ll take your advice, Junior Master!” Li Shiming didn’t say anything more on this matter and answered with a bow of his head.

But his heart wasn’t easily mended from the rift with the sect due to previous issues.

He also extinguished the thought of involving himself too much in sect affairs, just as Junior Master Zhuge said—the sect was large, and he was someone who disliked trouble.

He preferred to retaliate directly after being wronged.

Within the sect, when faced with attempted assassinations, he couldn’t act on his own and had to wait for the sect to handle it.

Look at his conflict with the Holy Ice Sect—they had troubled him several times, and he always responded in the most resolute way.

“Junior Master, I’ve come to ask for your guidance this time!” Li Shiming said with a bow.

“You, ever since you started learning formations, you haven’t come to me. Formation studies require exchange. Although my guidance to you won’t be much, it will still benefit you!” Junior Master Zhuge pointed at Li Shiming and said with a big laugh.

He was in a very good mood, first because Elder Yin had come out of retreat and resolved the incident that happened a month ago, unveiling Li Shiming’s concerns.

Secondly, the fact that Li Shiming came to seek guidance was, in his eyes, a kind of expression, showing his attitude towards the sect.

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