Cultivation is just so scientific!

Chapter 308: Chapter 200 Recovery_2

Elder Ji was adept at strategy, binding many allies with benefits; his power was not a fraction less than Elder Su’s.

If Elder Su had not been injured, this competitive relationship would have continued indefinitely, each relying on their own abilities to vie for the Nascent Soul inheritance qualifications.

But Elder Su’s injury in the battle against the Golden Core cultivator from the Demon Sect presented Elder Ji with an opportunity.

With Elder Su’s backing ancestor in seclusion, Elder Ji disposed of the spiritual medicine Elder Su urgently needed in advance, preventing Elder Su’s wounds from being healed.

As long as it dragged on for another year, Elder Su’s foundation would be damaged, and by then, even if the ancestor came out of seclusion, nothing could be changed.

“Man proposes, God disposes. The heavens do not favor me,” Elder Ji shook his head and said.

He was not particularly annoyed; if it didn’t work out this time, there would be future opportunities, and if it still didn’t work out, a fair competition would ensue.

He wouldn’t give up on that Nascent Soul inheritance qualification—it was his pathway to the heavens for becoming a Nascent Soul.

The so-called Nascent Soul inheritance qualification is not just about inheriting techniques; for Golden Core cultivators like them, most sect inheritances would be open to them.

The most important aspect of the Nascent Soul inheritance qualification is resources. When Nascent Soul ancestors from the sect travel abroad, they would obtain some fourth-grade resources. Besides those consumed by the Nascent Soul ancestors themselves, a portion would improve the chances of Golden Core advancement to Nascent Soul, and these resources would be provided to the qualified Golden Cores.

In the cave mansion within the Ten Thousand Great Mountains’ Senluo Sect, Li Yuanba was also in cultivation. Having completed his tasks for the year, he was in desperate need of quick progress, so he, too, entered the state of closed-door training.

Both his main body and the clone were practicing top-tier primary cultivation techniques, but it was clear that Li Yuanba’s Heavenly Spirit Root had a significant advantage.

Li Yuanba’s cultivation speed was nearly twice as fast as Li Shiming’s, even though Li Shiming was in a Golden Core Cave Mansion while Li Yuanba was in a normal Foundation Establishment Cave Mansion.

Li Shiming could imagine that Li Yuanba would enter the Golden Core Stage without any accidents, while he himself might still be lingering in the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.

This was also a good thing, as he would then have a Golden Core cultivator to help him find cultivation resources.

Elder Su appeared on Heavenly Eye Peak two months later, his spirit seemingly completely transformed and his aura much stronger.

In those two months, half the time was spent processing materials, and he had a good friend within the sect refine pills for him.

After previous events, he dared not entrust his affairs to unreliable people— who knew if any cultivator would risk destroying his life-saving spiritual medicine.

The other half of the time, naturally, was spent taking the Three Yang Reviving Pill to heal. The third-grade Three Yang Reviving Pill, in addition to treating the negative energy within his body, also allowed his long-suppressed strength to clash.

Only when his body fully recovered did Elder Su remember Li Shiming, whom he had left behind in the Heavenly Eye Peak Cave Mansion.

Li Shiming was not a cultivator from the Shushan Sect, so he could not leave the cave mansion; every other place outside the cave mansion was off-limits for Li Shiming.

It was also because Foundation Establishment cultivators have very little need for spirit food, otherwise, if a Qi Refining cultivator were left there, they would probably have starved to death in two months.

When Elder Su arrived at the entrance of the cave mansion, he cast a spell into the interior, a signal for Li Shiming to come out.

But there was no response from within, prompting him to think something might have gone wrong with Li Shiming. With a casual wave, he opened the cave mansion’s formation.

He was essentially the owner of this cave mansion; those residing within were guests.

Under normal circumstances, he, as the owner, naturally would not intrude into the guest rooms.

Upon entering the cultivation room of the cave mansion, he saw Li Shiming, who was still in a deep state of closed-door training.

Elder Su knew what had happened and had his ways to awaken Li Shiming.

With a gentle tap of his finger, Li Shiming, who was in a sensory-deprived state of closed-door cultivation, sensed the summon from outside, which reminded him where he was, and he began to slowly retract his internal spiritual power, ending his practice.

“`

“Elder Su!” Li Shiming opened his eyes to see Elder Su and, feeling somewhat embarrassed, lowered his head, at a loss for what to say.

Staying in a cave dwelling lent to him by Elder Su, he had unexpectedly entered a state where all five senses were closed during cultivation.

However, when he sensed the Spiritual Power Pattern in Spirit Lake, he was very satisfied with the retreat’s cultivation. The lake was now filled with a fair amount of Thunder Spirit Power, enough to sustain him through prolonged battles without depleting his Spiritual Power Pattern as quickly as before.

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. One must compete for resources. Cultivators thrive on competition, racing against time, vying with other cultivators for resources, and contending with fate for opportunities!” Elder Su said to Li Shiming with a smile.

He was quite pleased with Li Shiming. These past two months, he had not been idle.

Even before he had people concoct alchemy pills, he had ordered an investigation into Li Shiming’s background.

While he was recovering, he also received the investigation report on Li Shiming.

Li Shiming was certainly a cultivator with a clear background. Although Sky Sea Island was somewhat remote, the Shushan Sect had obtained information on Li Shiming through the Beishu Trading Company and sources from the Seven Sects cultivators on the island.

Li Shiming was recognized by his sect and had left the Sky Sea Sect to seek fortunes in the Beishu Continent.

Furthermore, merely for the merit of bringing back the Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover, Elder Su was willing to shoulder any trouble for him, should any arise.

“Let’s talk about Xu Chuan. Why hasn’t he returned?” Elder Su asked Li Shiming.

“Brother Xu diverted a Four Clawed Flood Dragon Demon to aid me on our journey to find the Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover but has not been heard from since,” Li Shiming said with sorrow.

“Xu Chuan is not dead. His Soul Lamp is still lit within the sect; he must be hiding somewhere to heal!” Elder Su said with certainty, gesturing dismissively.

Li Shiming then realized why Elder Su had not asked about Xu Chuan when they first met.

It had been about two more months, and since Xu Chuan had not returned, Elder Su finally brought it up.

“I initially thought that you and Xu Chuan had found the Mu Yang Three-leaf Clover together. I didn’t expect that you had acquired it alone. Xu Chuan left a message in his token for me to take you as a Registered Disciple and introduce you to the inner door of the Shushan Sect,” Elder Su paused as he spoke.

Li Shiming stood with his hands clasped and body bowed, uncertain whether Elder Su’s words were good or bad.

“I need to understand your situation before making a decision,” Elder Su said slowly. His Divine Thought swept over Li Shiming, and a look of surprise crossed his face as he asked, “Tell me about the cultivation techniques you’ve practiced, both your main focus and Body Refinement, reveal them all.”

From his Divine Thought exploration just now, he found out that Li Shiming possessed a triple spirit root, which indeed was not impressive in terms of talent.

But Li Shiming’s physical constitution was so robust that it far surpassed that of an average mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, and even among those specializing in Body Refinement, his physique stood out as exceptional.

From the information Elder Su had, although Li Shiming hailed from the Sky Sea Sect, the sect hadn’t offered significant help. Li Shiming was just an ordinary disciple of the Sky Sea Sect. The only thing special about him was a close and ambiguous relationship with a True Inheritor Female Cultivator, which earned him the care of a Golden Core Elder.

Such relationships were far from sufficient for Li Shiming to develop his formidable Body Refinement ability.

As for Li Shiming’s participation in the Qi Refinement Realm contest with the Mingxin Sect, it held little value in Elder Su’s eyes.

Additionally, Li Shiming’s body contained Thunder Spirit Power, indicating that he had practiced a Thunder-based main Cultivation Technique, which further surprised Elder Su.

It could be said that Li Shiming, a cultivator with mediocre talent, had cultivated top-tier Body Refinement and main Cultivation Techniques, and most crucially, he had reached the stage of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator at a young age without any residue from a Foundation Establishment Pill inside him.

After consuming a Foundation Establishment Pill, the residues would remain for at least five years, and its unique medicinal properties couldn’t escape Elder Su’s Divine Thought.

Of course, Elder Su’s inquiry was well beyond normal circumstances. It was also a test for Li Shiming. The assistance Li Shiming had provided him was too significant to be compensated for by simply offering the position of Registered Disciple.

He saw potential in Li Shiming, but his decision would still depend on whether Li Shiming was qualified.

“`