Cultivation is just so scientific!

Chapter 712: Chapter 402: Promotion_2

Sword Cultivator’s cultivation became increasingly difficult as they progressed, and those in the Golden Core Middle Stage were considered powerful even among Golden Core cultivators, not to mention those who also possessed Great Elder Level Body Refining Power.

Unfortunately, the ”Sword Demon Secret Manual” Golden Core section only included enhancements for Third Grade Sword Base, and lacked content in other areas.

He had long harbored the idea of requiring a close-combat Sword Cultivation Technique similar to the ”Sword Demon Secret Manual,” but neither the Senluo Sect nor the Shushan Sect had satisfactory close-combat techniques to offer him.

His standards had become too high. Ordinary close-combat sword techniques were of little use to him, and top-tier close-combat techniques were scarce, so it was normal for these two major sects not to have them in their collection.

Li Yuanba’s human form was not his strongest state; his most potent form was still the Corpse Refining state.

Under the Corpse Refining state, his close-combat capability surpassed that of a Great Elder, and if he closed in, he could easily eliminate a Great Elder.

Of course, the greatest potential of the Corpse Refining state lay in the ”Sky Splitting Divine Ability.” It was an attack-focused Divine Ability that could be used as early as the Silver Corpse Middle Stage, which was a tremendous advantage he gained from the Sky-splitting Beast’s corpse.

According to Li Shiming’s analysis, the ”Sky Splitting Divine Ability,” when fully executed, was powerful enough to breach the defense of a Fake Infant Body and could even injure a Nascent Soul Body.

Li Yuanba left Jiang Chen at the Guardian Mansion to protect Jieshan City while he flew toward the Jieshan Mountain Pass.

Following a breach incident, the number of cultivators guarding the Jieshan Mountain Pass had temporarily increased to twelve, divided into two teams rotating shifts.

Additionally, numerous Golden Core cultivators from various sects went searching for the invading cultivators from the Spiritual Crane Sect and the Endless Sect. For some reason, no matter how they searched, they could not find any traces of these Golden Core cultivators.

This situation greatly irritated the many Golden Core cultivators on sect duty; on one hand, they were unable to punish those who provoked the Senluo Sect, and on the other hand, they wasted a lot of time for this reason.

These sect Golden Core cultivators did not halt their search. However, some cultivators discovered that the invading Golden Core cultivators had entered a spirit beast’s territory and suspected that they might have been killed by the spirit beasts.

But this suspicion was unconfirmed, so the sect’s task would not cease; the sect Golden Core cultivators on duty had to keep busy.

The situation was the same at the Jieshan Mountain Pass; the temporarily added guardian cultivators would not be withdrawn.

Li Yuanba was unaware of the situation at the Jieshan Mountain Pass and only discovered the presence of so many Golden Core cultivators upon arrival.

”Junior Li!” Jiang Pu greeted him with a smile. After exchanging pleasantries, his expression turned serious as he started to look Li Yuanba up and down in astonishment.

”You’ve advanced to the Middle Stage?” When he confirmed his own judgment, he somewhat rudely pointed at Li Yuanba and asked.

He was very familiar with Li Yuanba’s information. It was one thing for Li to have advanced to the Golden Core Stage at such a young age, but it was another for him to have reached the Golden Core Middle Stage in just a few years.

At that moment, several other Golden Core Elders whom Li Yuanba did not recognize approached, and they too noticed Li Yuanba’s cultivation level.

”Is guarding Jieshan City and the Jieshan Mountain Pass so lucrative?” one Golden Core Elder murmured softly.

This time, they first noticed that the cultivators stationed at the Jieshan Mountain Pass, Jiang Pu, Meng Sheng, and Shi Can, had made significant progress in their strengths.

Had it not been for Li Yuanba’s advancement to the Golden Core Middle Stage, perhaps the temporarily visiting Golden Core Elders would not have had much reaction.

But upon seeing Li Yuanba’s advancement to the Golden Core Middle Stage, their first thought was that the benefits from the guarding duties at the Jieshan Mountain Pass were incredibly substantial.

Otherwise, how could they explain all three Golden Core Middle Stage guarding Elders showing significant improvement, and how could they explain Li Yuanba breaking through to the Golden Core Middle Stage just a few years after becoming a Golden Core cultivator?

The eyes of these Golden Core Elders shone with interest. They had not paid much attention to the Jieshan Mountain Pass mission before, but now it was different.

Jiang Pu naturally saw the greed in the eyes of the temporarily visiting Golden Core Elders and felt a headache coming on.

It seemed that trouble was likely in the future, but the task of guarding the Jieshan Mountain Pass had to be kept secure.

”I advanced during this seclusion after experiencing an epiphany!” Li Yuanba, unaware of the recent events, answered with a smile.

Such an excuse was believed by no one to be a lie, as many cultivators often breakthrough suddenly when they feel a sense of insight.

However, such insights required accumulation and, unless one consumed some gentle and high-grade spiritual medicine, trying to force a breakthrough through cultivation alone was extremely difficult.

”I’m really envious of you, it looks like I’ll be calling you Brother Li soon!” Jiang Pu joked.

”Brother Jiang, I need to go over there, is that alright?” Li Yuanba pointed across the Jieshan Mountain Pass and asked.

”No problem, they’re here just to assist in the defense, the authority is still in our three hands!” Jiang Pu glanced at the other Golden Core Elders and replied softly.

Li Yuanba nodded; his relationship with Jiang Pu, as long as it did not involve other cultivators, did not require much discussion.

He greeted the temporary Golden Core Elders and then entered the passage of the checkpoint.

After passing through the buffer zone and getting close to the Righteous Gate, he found that the formation of the checkpoint emitted a fierce aura that locked onto him.

He was surprised by this since his identity usually allowed him to pass through the Righteous Gate without any procedures; Ying Hou and others would normally let him through.

”What audacity, daring to forcefully pass through the checkpoint!” a voice rang out beside him.

Li Yuanba looked towards the Righteous Gate where a Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator stood in the air, pointing at him with spiritual power surging around him, ready to attack at any moment.

”I am Li Yuanba from the Senluo Sect, here to visit Mr. Ying!” Li Yuanba did not want to cause trouble here, he declared firmly.

”Mr. Ying is resting, you will naturally get to meet him if you surrender now!” The Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator, feeling he had an absolute advantage with the support of the formation, had no intention of reasoning with Li Yuanba.

This Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator, named Yang Bao from the Thousand Illusion Sect, was sent here to fill a vacant position.

He was assigned here because he heard there were great benefits at this location, and as a Golden Core Elder from one of the three great Righteous Sects, he considered himself superior to the Golden Core Elders Ying Hou and Xin Tong.

He had just been assigned and knew nothing about the situation here, but was reluctant to listen to explanations from Ying Hou and Xin Tong.

He arbitrarily interfered with the checkpoint’s transactions, seizing the profits from several trades for himself, which greatly annoyed Ying Hou and Xin Tong, but they were powerless to stop him.

Compared to the deceased Wisdom Light Arhat, this Yang Bao was more troublesome; he was too greedy, seizing every profitable opportunity for himself, completely disregarding the original rules.

Li Yuanba frowned, it seemed this matter could not be resolved amicably.

In the future, it appeared that the Righteous Gate side would be very troublesome, and he would only be able to pass through the Righteous Formation by smuggling.

As he was contemplating this, Yang Bao’s flying sword had already been activated, shooting towards him.

Li Yuanba no longer hesitated, his Xingyi Sword flew out to meet Yang Bao’s flying sword treasure.

When Yang Bao realized something was wrong, it was already too late; the moment he sensed the terrifying Sword Intent on the Xingyi Sword, he knew his opponent was a powerful Sword Cultivator.

But his flying sword treasure had already collided with the Xingyi Sword, and the Supreme Yang Sword Intent, upon impact, entered the flying sword treasure and instantly destroyed the spiritual imprint within it.

Li Yuanba stepped forward in mid-air, and strangely, the formation’s lock lost effect. He flew next to the colliding flying sword treasure and grabbed it in his hand.

After the Xingyi Sword dispersed the spiritual imprint in the flying sword treasure, it continued towards Yang Bao.

Under the Golden Core Middle Stage’s ’Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique’s control, Xingyi Sword positioned itself in front of Yang Bao’s neck.