Cultivation is just so scientific!

"Looks like I'll be busy later on!" He reluctantly observed the area covered by the spiritual artifact and then glanced at the rest of Ten Thousand Sword Peak, murmuring to himself.

While it wasn't necessary to cover every place at Ten Thousand Sword Peak with refining materials, the rocks where the ten thousand flying swords were located and the main structural parts of Ten Thousand Sword Peak needed to be fully covered; even those unimportant areas that didn't require full coverage had to be reinforced with refining materials.

What he needed to do next was to add a layer of refining material to the surface of Ten Thousand Sword Peak, which would not only reinforce it but also lay the foundation for turning the mountain into a treasure.

Of course, with his current ability in refining artifacts, all these tasks were just preparatory work. The most crucial third-grade refining materials were the core to transforming Ten Thousand Sword Peak into a treasure, and that would require him to become a Golden Core cultivator to achieve.

He shook his head to clear the thoughts from his mind, focusing on the immediate task at hand, which was to prepare well.

He tossed another piece of refining material into the Spirit Artifact Refining Furnace, commencing the second artifact refining session.

In the days that followed, Li Yuanba almost worked day and night on cultivation and artifact refining. Stationed at Sword Holding Peak, he didn't need to publicly announce his seclusion because, unless there was a special event within the sect, he and Elder Jian would not take the initiative to make contact with other cultivators in the sect.

Li Yuanba's primary cultivation technique, 'Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique,' improved continuously under the steady supply of top-tier spirit pills.

His cultivation conditions were almost identical to Li Shiming's; both were far beyond what Foundation Establishment cultivators typically enjoyed.

The spiritual veins of Ten Thousand Sword Peak could support the cultivation of late-stage Golden Core cultivators, combined with an ample supply of top-tier spirit pills, the premier 'Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique,' and the inherent sword intent in Ten Thousand Sword Peak, which augmented his own sword intent—these were Li Yuanba's cultivation conditions.

This lifestyle continued for two months until a new year arrived.

A message came from Ancestor Lu, stating that the ancestor would enter seclusion in a month's time.

This was Ancestor Lu showing extra care for Li Yuanba, knowing that Elder Jian had reached the stage of prepping for Nascent Soul breakthrough; otherwise, Li Yuanba would not have been informed of this.

It was then that Li Yuanba remembered he needed to use this month to complete the sect missions that a disciple should undertake within the year.

Normally, True Disciples like himself could ignore such missions, as it constituted an unwritten rule among them. Many True Disciples unwilling to waste time on missions would delegate their tasks to other disciples who had pledged loyalty to them to complete on their behalf.

Since it was an unwritten rule, there was no formal sect regulation protecting it. If Elder Jian were still around, Li Yuanba wouldn't have to worry about any issues—Elder Jian could handle all inquiries.

But now that Elder Jian had secluded himself, if other Golden Core Elders sought to stir trouble over this matter as a probe, it could put him at a disadvantage.

Therefore, he decided to use this month to complete next year's missions while Ancestor Lu was still unsecluded and capable of deterring the other Golden Core Elders.

Looking over the mission list, he chose three combat missions, which were the simplest ones. With the Senluo Sect's intelligence system, targets were already pinpointed, and he only had to go there to execute them to complete the missions.

In the mission hall of Senluo Sect, Elder Yue's Identity Jade Disc vibrated slightly, a notification she had set for herself to be alerted whenever specific information she was interested in was found by her subordinates.

After reading the message in her Identity Jade Disc, a faint cold smile appeared on Elder Yue's face.

Like many Golden Core Elders in the sect, she coveted the Ten Thousand Sword Peak greatly. As a place of inheritance for sword cultivators touched by sword intent, the peak had been so influenced by it over time that it had become a Spiritual Object from inside out.

Only a few valuable refining materials added to a mountain-sized Spiritual Object could transform it into a tremendously powerful treasure.

Because of Elder Jian's strength, this kind of thought was mostly just a fancy for the Golden Core Elders.

Only a few Golden Core Elders had made plans for it; Elder Lv was one, and Elder Yue was also among them.

Elder Yue had a clear target in mind: Elder Jian was bound to attempt the Nascent Soul breakthrough. Once he secluded himself, Ten Thousand Sword Peak would become an unguarded, vacant spirit mountain.

As soon as Ancestor Lu entered seclusion, she could make her move to refine Ten Thousand Sword Peak.

Even if Ancestor Lu were to pursue the matter afterwards, Elder Yue had an ancestor above to shield him. As long as Elder Jian had not reached Nascent Soul, even if he emerged from seclusion unscathed and with his strength intact, with the treasure refined by Ten Thousand Sword Peak at his disposal, Elder Yue was confident in confronting Elder Jian.

Elder Yue had always believed that Elder Jian's use of Ten Thousand Sword Peak was an immense waste.

Once transformed into a treasure, its power could oppress even cultivators at the Golden Core Stage; there was no need to only regard it as an heirloom.

Besides, transforming Ten Thousand Sword Peak into a treasure wouldn't affect its function as an inheritance.

It was precisely because Elder Jian was a sword cultivator, devoted solely to the belief that one sword could break all spells, that he treated Ten Thousand Sword Peak in such a manner.

Originally, the appearance of Li Yuanba hadn't affected Elder Yue's plan to watch and wait.

But Li Yuanba nearly suppressed all of the True Disciples at the Foundation Establishment stage in the last encounter, which made Elder Yue sense a crisis.

After Elder Jian took Li Yuanba as his disciple, Elder Yue thought that it would take at least decades for Li Yuanba to grow up, and Elder Jian, whose time was running out, would definitely attempt to reach Nascent Soul before Li Yuanba's growth.

But who could have expected that Li Yuanba's growth speed would be so rapid, advancing his realm to Mid-stage Foundation Establishment in such a short period, and even his combat power was astonishing.

Elder Yue didn't want to let Li Yuanba grow any further, fearing that by the time Elder Jian was ready to attempt Nascent Soul, Li Yuanba would take over as the next guardian sword cultivator of Ten Thousand Sword Peak.

Elder Yue was also clear that Ancestor Lu hadn't entered seclusion yet. With his cautious attitude, he naturally wouldn't personally take action against Li Yuanba at this time.

He took out a communication plaque and sent out an order.

Li Yuanba's figure turned into a streak of sword light, heading in the direction of the assigned target.

Without the invisibility ability that his real body, Li Shiming, possessed, he didn't travel using 'Step by Step Lotus,' but the Sword Escape speed from Sky-Surging Sword Intent Technique was also not slow.

As for the sect's battle missions, during the initial time he joined the sect, he often carried out such tasks.

He trusted the sect's intelligence network and made no delays on the way, arriving at the first target's location via a straight-line path.

The target was a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, not a law enforcer. He didn't concern himself with why the cultivator was an enemy of the Senluo Sect, nor did he possess any mercy. In his heart, there was no right or wrong, no division between justice and evil in the Cultivation World, only entangled interests.

The Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator was within a Formation, his temporary cave abode. Although it was a temporary dwelling, he had lived there for a while, so the Formation was well-established.

The Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator sitting in the cave suddenly opened his eyes; his body hair stood on end, a wave of heart palpitations rising from within.

Even when he had encountered a Great Demon in the wilderness, he had never felt such emotions.

He swiftly activated his defensive spiritual artifact, adding on a defensive talisman for good measure.

Just then, the sword light appeared from the void, and the Formation that seemed very powerful to him couldn't even withstand a moment against this sword light.

Li Yuanba possessed the Formation knowledge of his real body, Li Shiming, regarding all Formations activated by Array Plates as trash in their eyes.

When Li Yuanba riding the Sword Escape reached the target, he didn't even pause. He swept over the Formation with Divine Thought and found its weak spot.

His flying sword shot out, directly aimed at the Formation's vulnerability, which allowed him to break it with a single strike.

Without the protection of the Formation, his flying sword continued towards the Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. Before the cultivator could mount a defense, the flying sword shattered his two layers of defense in a domineering and unreasonable manner, killing him on the spot.