Chapter 1028 - 560: Inventory (Part 2)

After Li Shiming recognized ownership of the ’Water Dragon Daoist Robe,’ he realized that if the robe remained undamaged, its defensive power alone could withstand an electromagnetic cannon attack.

This ’Water Dragon Daoist Robe’ not only achieved top-level Fourth Grade quality but was also infused with spirit.

This spirit infusion is a unique secret technique in artifact refining, where the soul of a powerful creature is infused into a magical treasure.

Spirit infusion is extremely difficult to master; the stronger the creature being infused, the harder it is to control, but the effect is also better.

If a low-level creature is chosen for spirit infusion, the controllability is significantly enhanced, even allowing full retention of all the abilities of the infused creature.

Just like the Ghost Bracelet Li Shiming obtained in the Grotto Heaven, which contains a Fourth Grade Mid Stage Ghost. The power gap between Great Power Zhai Ge and the ghost is immense, so Great Power Zhai Ge can retain all the ghost’s abilities.

The spirit within the ’Water Dragon Daoist Robe’ is from a Fourth Grade Water Element Dragon Beast’s soul. Since Great Cultivator Zhao’s power was similar to this dragon beast, only one ability of the dragon beast was retained during the refining process.

It’s uncertain whether Great Cultivator Zhao was lucky or had another secret technique, but the retained ability was the high-grade Fourth-grade spell ’Water Dragon Protection.’

Once ’Water Dragon Protection’ is deployed, it can generate a defensive shield strong enough to withstand a strike from a Great Cultivator.

’Water Dragon Protection’ is equivalent to a defense spell cast by a Great Cultivator; without retaining this ability during spirit infusion, it would be impossible to solidify such a powerful spell onto the robe using ordinary methods.

The presence of the strong defensive spell ’Water Dragon Protection’ greatly enhances the value of the ’Water Dragon Daoist Robe,’ making it more precious than a regular top-level Fourth Grade magical treasure.

It was unfortunate for this ’Water Dragon Daoist Robe’ to encounter Master Ding and Grandmaster Hu, two Great Cultivators who utilized the Nascent Soul Dharma Form and Spiritual Pet fusion secret technique, which exceeded the defensive limits of the ’Water Dragon Protection’ spell.

The ’Water Dragon Protection’ spell on the robe requires a month to recover, while the robe itself has auto-recovery abilities, taking at least a year to fully repair.

Li Shiming didn’t hesitate to strip the ’Water Dragon Daoist Robe’ from Great Cultivator Zhao.

Thankfully, such quality robes come with a self-cleaning function, ensuring no scent issues from previously worn by other cultivators.

He donned the ’Water Dragon Daoist Robe’ and used his Water Thunder Nascent Soul to input water spiritual power into the robe, accelerating its recovery.

Li Shiming’s mind focused again on the ’Gu Wind Bag,’ perceiving the ten ’Silver Winged Spirit Gu Insects’ inside.

Although aware that these ten insects wouldn’t awaken inside the ’Gu Wind Bag,’ their immense presence still exerted considerable pressure on him.

The best way to overcome pressure is to face it directly.

He selected one from the ten ’Silver Winged Spirit Gu Insects,’ and his ten brains gathered their Spirit to draw an intricate contract rune in the void.

This was the custom ownership rune recorded in the ’Tuo Luo Insect Manual,’ further refined by Great Cultivator Zhao for the ’Silver Winged Spirit Gu Insect.’

Great Cultivator Zhao invested significant effort in researching the ’Silver Winged Spirit Gu Insect’ using extensive texts from the Gu Feng Sect after obtaining its eggs.

In the Cultivation World, few cultivators understand the ’Silver Winged Spirit Gu Insect’ better than Great Cultivator Zhao; although the contract rune he developed may have flaws, it’s undoubtedly the best available.

Even if Li Shiming uses his natal magical treasure IBMz15 for deep analysis and study of the ’Tuo Luo Insect Manual,’ combined with the ’Silver Winged Spirit Gu Insect’s’ situation, improving upon Zhao’s rune is not a task that can be achieved quickly.

Impatient, he thought he might as well complete the contract with the ’Silver Winged Spirit Gu Insect’ first.

If IBMz15 later discovers a method to alter the contract rune, he can simply replace it.

Without the ’Gu Wind Bag,’ he wouldn’t dare consider replacing the contract rune.

But with the ’Gu Wind Bag,’ the sect’s inheritance treasure, any spiritual insect within it can’t resist; even after contract runes are removed, they remain inactive.

Just like the current ten ’Silver Winged Spirit Gu Insects,’ despite their master Great Cultivator Zhao’s demise and the disappearance of the ownership runes, they stay quietly inside the ’Gu Wind Bag.’

Li Shiming cautiously applied the contract rune, created by his ten brains collectively, onto the chosen ’Silver Winged Spirit Gu Insect.’ The rune, emitting a faint mystical glow, entered the insect’s body.

The ’Gu Wind Bag’s’ special abilities ensured the ’Silver Winged Spirit Gu Insect’ accepted the contract rune without any resistance.

His ten brains simultaneously sensed the ’Silver Winged Spirit Gu Insect’s’ soul; even in its dormant state, the insect’s soul’s frenzied emotions were perceptible.

"This isn’t just any spiritual insect; it’s more an ’extinction insect’!" Li Shiming shook his head upon sensing the insect’s frenzied emotions.

If he were not in control, releasing the ’Silver Winged Spirit Gu Insect.’

Within a certain range, any life form would be attacked by the ’Silver Winged Spirit Gu Insect.’

The ’Silver Winged Spirit Gu Insect’ cannot normally communicate or express emotions; it requires strong spirit control via the contract rune.

Li Shiming’s mind shifted slightly as he summoned the ’Silver Winged Spirit Gu Insect’ before him.

When the insect was summoned from the ’Gu Wind Bag,’ his ten brains collectively felt a weight, like bearing great pressure.

He quickly increased the control to twenty brains to relieve the pressure.

This ’Silver Winged Spirit Gu Insect’ demands more spirit than the analysis from IBMz15 based on Great Cultivator Zhao’s data; using ten brains might work, but flexibility and endurance in control would be impacted.

Now, with twenty brains controlling the insect, it can be managed effortlessly.

Moreover, upon the insect’s appearance, his soul’s contract space was nearly filled, making him unable to contract another ’Silver Winged Spirit Gu Insect’ for now.

If the ’Silver Winged Spirit Gu Insect’ were a spirit beast rather than an insect, a cultivator of Nascent Soul Early Stage like Li Shiming couldn’t contract a Fourth Grade Mid Stage Peak.

The contract requirements for insects are somewhat less stringent; spiritual insects, after all, are less developed in soul attributes compared to spirit beasts of the same level.

This explains why Li Shiming could contract a Nascent Soul Middle Stage ’Silver Winged Spirit Gu Insect’ using his Nascent Soul Early Stage capabilities; undoubtedly, Great Cultivator Zhao’s research played a significant role.

There are two ways to control the ’Silver Winged Spirit Gu Insect’: one is through full control by twenty brains over its actions.

This method requires it to be within Li Shiming’s divine sense range; outside this range, control over the insect’s actions is lost.

The second way is issuing specific commands; the insect, with its wisdom, will complete tasks according to the orders.

This command-based method allows the ’Silver Winged Spirit Gu Insect’ to operate outside his divine sense range, autonomously returning to the master post-task via the contract linkage.

Both control methods necessitate the master’s spirit fully sustaining contract rune levels; if the master’s spirit nears danger lines, the insect must be retracted into the ’Gu Wind Bag.’

Otherwise, the ’Silver Winged Spirit Gu Insect’ will attack its master, as it happened with Great Cultivator Zhao.