Cultivation is just so scientific!

Chapter 31 Spell

In the main hall of Prince Shun Mansion, Prince Shun sat in the seat of honor, looking indifferently at Senior Secretary Li, who was bowing beside him.

”I am very disappointed in the trouble youʼve caused, fruitlessly losing Pei Xinlu!” Prince Shun said with a heavy voice.

”It is my fault, who would have known that such an expert was hidden beside that little beast!” Li Wenfeng acknowledged, knowing Prince Shunʼs temper, and bowed his head.

”Pei Xinlu is already dead. The news from the Ministry of Justice is pressing down. If there is another next time, it will reach my father, and you will not have another chance to make a move!” Prince Shun said blandly.

He didnʼt care about Li Wenfengʼs assassination attempt, what he cared about was the death of Pei Xinlu; the Ministry of Justice did not want to escalate the situation over a minor figure like Li Shiming.

Although the incident had a significant impact, as long as Li Shiming did not die, the situation could be controlled within a certain range.

Thus, Pei Xinlu died on the way back to the Ministry of Justice, which outwardly explained as suicide.

This explanation was reasonable. A master who had lost both arms and legs would lead a very miserable life even if he survived, and Pei Xinluʼs enemies would certainly not let him off.

But Prince Shun knew this was the Ministry of Justice showing goodwill towards him, as well as a warning that the matter should be put to rest.

Otherwise, with the Ministry of Justiceʼs experience in handling criminals, how could they let Pei Xinlu have the opportunity to commit suicide, or to say, Pei Xinluʼs death was not a suicide at all.

”I have caused trouble for Your Highness!” Li Wenfeng still bowed his head as he replied.

”I donʼt like Li WenYuan either. Use the mansionʼs connections to give that youngster some trouble, now go,” said Prince Shun, waving his hand.

”Yes, Your Highness!” Li Wenfeng left the hall.

His eyes were filled with murderous intent, but he also understood that the best opportunity had been lost, and it was impossible to take action against Li Shiming again.

He only wanted to take revenge on Li WenYuan and could not possibly risk his own future for a junior like Li Shiming.

The reason why he made his move on the first night after Li Shimingʼs arrival in Central Capital was because the news about Li Shiming hadnʼt spread out, and Li Shimingʼs death that day would have had the smallest impact.

Once Li Shiming visited friends of Li WenYuan, especially after becoming an Advanced Scholar through the grand examination, any attempts at assassination would have much graver consequences.

There are rules in the world of officialdom, you can suppress, you can frame, but you cannot assassinate. If everyone used assassination, the officialdom would be in chaos.

Not long after sending off the Junior Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Li Shiming received the news of Pei Xinluʼs death.

His expression was grave; it seemed that his fatherʼs relationships in Central Capital were not reliable. Perhaps the Junior Minister of the Ministry of Justice was a friend of his fatherʼs many years ago, but people change.

He had not counted on the fairness of the Ministry of Justice, but the fact that they showed no intention of even holding a trial for the case, with the murderer dead and evidence gone, was indeed very clean.

From Steward Zhang, Li Shiming learned of the enmity between his uncle, Li Wenfeng, and his father.

Steward Zhang didnʼt know the details, only that Li Shimingʼs mother was involved with his uncle, which led Li WenYuan to break off from the family and take Li Shiming to Nanling Prefecture.

A faint murderous intent appeared on Li Shiming. His soul had come to this world, and he had always maintained a high level of vigilance towards this foreign world.

When facing threats to his own life, this high-level vigilance turned into a readiness for slaughter, especially when possessing the power to kill.

Just as in Nanling Prefecture, the threat from Chief Escort Wang and the potential danger from Cultivator Shi Ximing, Li Shiming dealt with them in the most direct manner.

Li Shiming entered the study. After Si Qin served tea and left the study, she stood guard outside.

Li Shimingʼs consciousness entered the server room space, where he opened the document for the ʼGeng Metal Skillʼ on the large IBM z15 server.

If the ʼSpring Breeze and Rain Skillʼ is the signature basic spell of a Cultivator who specializes in Spirit Planting, then the ʼGeng Metal Skillʼ is one of the few offensive methods available to such Cultivators.

His first choice of spell, the ʼSpring Breeze and Rain Skill,ʼ was because he was impressed by the ability of the spell to call forth wind and rain - that was the sort of technique he imagined an Immortal would possess.

At that time, he hadnʼt anticipated that the ʼSpring Breeze and Rain Skillʼ would consume so much Spiritual Power that he would have no extra energy to learn other spells.

Now that the Gathering Spirit Plate was reactivated, he could finally start learning new spells.

This time he was more pragmatic; he needed an attack spell befitting a Cultivator.

Talismans were more convenient than casting spells himself, but he had far too few talismans on hand to waste them before finding a Cultivator in Central Capital.

Talismans were his last resort for saving his life, and he wouldnʼt use them unless absolutely necessary.

Having learned from his experience with the ʼSpring Breeze and Rain Skill,ʼ he took care to note all the important aspects of the ʼGeng Metal Skillʼ and practiced drawing the complex Geng Metal runes without using Spiritual Power.

Only after the runes he practiced drawing on the large IBM z15 server were without the slightest error did he begin to contemplate the intent behind the ʼGeng Metal Skill.ʼ

The purpose of the ʼGeng Metal Skillʼ is to kill pests that harm Spirit Plants, which are spiritual insects. Metal-type spells cause them the most damage.

The ʼGeng Metal Skillʼ may not be powerful among spells, but it is the most flexible and easy to control; it produces a fine Geng Metal Needle that minimizes damage to the Spirit Plants while eliminating the pests.

Of course, when said to not be very powerful, it is all relative.

Compared to spells focused on attack, such as the Ice Arrow Skill and Fireball Technique, the ʼGeng Metal Skillʼ lacks the freezing effect of Ice Arrows and the scorching effect of Fireballs, merely adding a bit of sharpness.

As a low-level spell, the ʼGeng Metal Skillʼ only releases a small Geng Metal Needle, and even with added sharpness, its power isnʼt much enhanced.

But the ʼGeng Metal Skillʼ is still an attack spell, producing a strike that is not something the mundane world can withstand.

Had he possessed the ʼGeng Metal Skillʼ last night, he would have been able to handle the situation much more easily, dispatching a worldly expert like Pei Xinlu with a single use of the skill.

However, the greatest challenge in learning the ʼGeng Metal Skillʼ lies in grasping its intent.

Luckily, if the intent of a spell is sensed correctly, it will produce a reaction in the Cultivator learning the spell.

For other Cultivators, successfully comprehending the intent would require a long, painstaking process of slow, gradual effort.

Li Shiming, however, organized videos of small, sharp objects on the large IBM z15 server, then used all five senses to immerse himself in the environment, thereby deceiving his body into achieving an understanding of the ʼGeng Metal Skillʼsʼ intent.

After many trials, a video of metal bullets flying through the air and piercing several targets evoked a response in him.

His fingers drew the Geng Metal runes in the void in front of him, a step he completed with ease. Then, he loaded himself with the sensed intent.

The Geng Metal rune transformed into a beam of golden light that pierced through the tiles beneath his feet, leaving behind an extremely small hole.