Cultivation is just so scientific!

Chapter 403 248: Thousand Illusions

Li Shiming held a jade box in his hand, feeling fortunate as he watched Venerable Huike, whose figure flickered and appeared a distance away, then continued to move until he was no longer visible.

Without the backing of Shushan Sect or an elder stepping forward, it would have been impossible to suppress Venerable Huike.

What Venerable Huike used was indeed the Divine Foot Skill. Having received the inheritance, Li Shiming recognized it immediately.

Li Shiming truly realized how formidable the ʼA Step as a Thousand Milesʼ ability of the Nascent Soul Stage was—traveling a distance in one step, this was simply the legendary ability to shrink distance.

He knew that the intervals between each use of the Divine Foot Skill were determined by the speed of the cultivatorʼs brain activity; as long as the thought speed was fast enough, the Divine Foot Skill could be used continuously.

This could almost place a cultivator who practiced the Divine Foot Skill in an invincible position. He longed greatly for the Divine Foot Skill of the Nascent Soul period.

Of course, with Li Shimingʼs current perspective, his understanding of a Nascent Soul cultivatorʼs abilities was merely imaginative, like a blind man groping an elephant.

In his hand was the compensation given by Venerable Huike: after one hundred and twenty-eight Array flags were destroyed and the pressure of a Nascent Soul Great Power had caused him some injuries, it was impossible for such a Nascent Soul Great Power as Venerable Huike to really provide Second Grade Spiritual Objects as compensation.

Moreover, Venerable Huike was also helpless; as a Nascent Soul Great Power, he wouldnʼt have Second Grade Spiritual Objects at his disposal.

In the end, with no other options, Venerable Huike gave a piece of Third-grade Profound Mace Secret Iron as compensation to Li Shiming.

This was a gold attribute Third-grade Refining Material, with enough mass to forge a flying sword artifact.

To say that Venerable Huike had handed over an artifact was an extreme generosity that even surprised Li Shiming.

In reality, providing Third-grade Refining Materials was far superior to providing a finished artifact because an artifact forged by another party is always made to suit their characteristics and can never perfectly match oneʼs own.

If he could refine an artifact that met his own needs out of the Profound Mace Secret Iron, it might even be better than any other flying sword artifacts he currently possessed.

Li Shiming tucked away the Profound Mace Secret Iron. He didnʼt leave immediately; he always felt that although Venerable Huike had left, he was still observing him in some way.

He smiled faintly, casually throwing out the one hundred and twenty-eight Array flags, setting up a Formation again.

He actually hoped Venerable Huike would come again and bring him another piece of Third-grade Refining Material.

After all, he was in no hurry, as he had already reunited with Li Yuanba, who was presently very safe. It wouldnʼt matter if he waited a while longer to send Li Yuanba on his way.

Venerable Huike was indeed observing Li Shiming from a distance. He still harbored doubts about Li Shiming and even suspected that the one who had set up the surveillance was Li Shiming.

Mainly, the location of Li Shiming was too sensitive, too close to where the pass that Li Yuanba carried had gone missing.

In the Cultivation World, there are no coincidences; everything is connected.

Being at the Nascent Soul Stage, the trustworthiness of Venerable Huikeʼs psychic senses was still reliable.

If not for concerns over Li Shimingʼs identity, Venerable Huike would have been ready to capture him and use measures to make Li Shiming confess.

The Buddhist way has many methods to mystify the soul; with Venerable Huikeʼs level, making Li Shiming tell the truth would not be difficult.

But Venerable Huike did not wish to proceed that way. The matter of Li Yuanba being a Bodhisattva reincarnation was significant, but the alliance between Shushan Sect and Qianye Temple was even more critical.

The matter of Li Yuanba being a Bodhisattva reincarnation was still a guess. For the sake of a guess, to capture Li Shiming, a True Inheritor of Alchemy from Shushan Sect, and interrogate him—even if Li Shiming wasnʼt greatly harmed afterward, it would still impact the relationship between the two sects.

Additionally, using methods that mystified the soul would, to some extent, affect a cultivatorʼs soul, hindering future cultivation.

”Venerable Huike, did you not find Li Yuanba?” Zhi Ming Arhat, seeing Venerable Huike return, promptly asked.

”No, Zhi Ming, go and monitor that Li Shiming 120 li away in the Array; he is Shushan Sectʼs True Inheritor of Alchemy. Make sure he does not detect you!” Venerable Huike pointed in a direction as he instructed Zhi Ming Arhat.

As a Venerable, he couldnʼt possibly monitor Li Shiming for a long time. He also believed that, with Li Shimingʼs mid-stage Foundation Establishment strength, Zhi Ming Arhat was more than capable of monitoring him.

”Venerable Huike, is Li Shiming related to Li Yuanba?” Zhi Ming Arhat asked, puzzled.

Although the two cultivators shared the same surname, the surname Li was common, and while there werenʼt billions in the Cultivation World, there were definitely millions.

”Itʼs just a feeling. Shushan Sect values Li Shiming highly. If you discover anything, report it directly, and do not act on your own!” Venerable Huike, realizing the gravity of the situation, sternly instructed.

”Iʼll head over now!” Zhi Ming Arhat asked no more questions. If Venerable Huike said there was an issue with Li Shiming, there must be an issue.

Li Shiming stayed in the same place for a day, appearing to treat his injuries on the surface. In reality, his injuries were very light; the Pure Dao Body accelerated the healing of his injuries, which had already recovered during his conversation with Venerable Huike.

Deciding to leave, he collected the Array flags.

Although he couldnʼt precisely sense someone spying, he still felt somewhat uneasy; he suspected he was still being monitored by Qianye Temple using some method.

He didnʼt fly toward Jieshan Mountain Pass but changed direction, heading toward Thousand Illusion Sect.

Li Yuanbaʼs clone had directly entered secluded cultivation in the machine room space. With plenty of top-tier Spirit Pills and the previous carnage, it was time to rapidly enhance his strength, and being in the machine room space did not hinder his cultivation.