Longevity Strange Immortal
Chapter 120 - 121 Hui Qingyi [Mountain Demon]

Chapter 120: Chapter 121 Hui Qingyi [Mountain Demon]

The sudden Sacrificial Festival brought an unusual bustle to Black Wind Ridge. During the day, groups of Deceit Beasts roamed the streets everywhere.

They wore Daoist robes and ornaments, muttering intricate mantras under their breath.

Occasionally, some Deceit Beasts could be seen carrying statues, circling around Black Wind Ridge, hinting that the Beast Calamity had already birthed certain unseen variables.

Calling it "out of control" wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

After all, the Deceit Beasts of Black Wind Ridge were, in essence, nothing more than the Chang Ghosts of the mountain lord, merely repeating destructive cycles within the confines of certain rules.

The nameless temple where Li Mo resided was the liveliest. Even without getting close, a dense and overwhelming scent of incense could be smelled.

Countless Deceit Beasts came and went with fervent expressions, seemingly unable to hold back their desire to bow repeatedly in worship.

Amid the surging crowd at the temple’s entrance, an unexpected figure—a multi-armed cultivator—appeared, yet the surrounding Deceit Beasts seemed entirely oblivious to him.

Master Feng Lin bowed his head, walking unobtrusively through various corners of the temple.

His flesh was rotting beyond repair, and dozens of miniature arms grew along both sides of his cheeks. These arms writhed with his every breath, rendering him incomprehensibly grotesque.

Master Feng Lin touched the Beast Thought Bead embedded in his forehead. The artifact helped his aura mimic that of the Deceit Beasts, allowing him to blend into Black Wind Ridge unnoticed.

"What a damn mess..."

"There’s no trace of Tian Changwen’s pawns outside, nor a single building guarding the Beast Calamity. So why would a Beast Cultivator show up in Black Wind Ridge?"

Master Feng Lin couldn’t help but mutter to himself, then quickly joined two fellow Puppet Cultivators.

They exchanged information amongst themselves, and Master Feng Lin realized that the nameless temple atop the hill was indeed the origin of the anomaly. His breathing grew more rapid.

The three cautiously confirmed that the temple had no ambushes.

It wasn’t until sunset that they dared to step into the temple’s main hall, where they spotted a statue with three heads, six arms, and eight legs—a sight so chilling they couldn’t help but gasp audibly.

"Magic artifact?"

One of the Puppet Cultivators muttered in disbelief.

Master Feng Lin nodded, the greed in his eyes indescribable.

They noticed some Deceit Beasts pouring their kin’s flesh and blood onto the statue’s surface. Immediately, the artifact absorbed it entirely.

Clearly, the statue contained a Mustard Space within, specifically used for storing flesh and blood.

Though puzzled by why the Deceit Beasts revered the statue so fervently, one thing was certain: the artifact had been crafted by human hands not long ago.

Master Feng Lin had come to Black Wind Ridge for wealth. However, relying solely on nighttime hunting of Deceit Beasts was far too inefficient. At the same time, he had to ensure he wouldn’t be detected by the beasts.

Now, right before him lay an opportunity—the statue promised an endless supply of spiritual materials.

"Fellow Daoist Feng Lin, what do you think..."

"Let’s leave first. At the very least, we need to locate the Beast Cultivator behind this."

Master Feng Lin signaled with his eyes and vanished into the bustling streets. Little did he know, his actions had already fallen entirely within Li Mo’s gaze.

Li Mo smirked coldly.

He had long suspected the presence of Puppet Cultivators in Black Wind Ridge, but the number was unexpectedly high—an estimated twenty to thirty scattered across the four city districts.

Li Mo paid them no mind.

He knew Shi Ji would never send Fake Core Realm cultivators to Black Wind Ridge; cultivators in the same realm at the Weak Crown Stage wouldn’t be able to harm him in the slightest.

Hmm... good. The Yin Attribute Secondary Peak at Corpse Mountain is still missing a few residents.

Li Mo instructed the Ghost Tiger to hide in the courtyard and focused his energy on cultivating Gu.

His fascination with Deceit Beasts grew ever stronger.

Unlike the demon beasts of ancient cultivation, Deceit Beasts harbored terrifying unpredictability—they could transform their flesh and blood into entirely new species at any given moment.

Li Mo glanced at the cage, where fifteen Deceit Beasts resembling monkeys were confined. Just a few days ago, the numbers peaked at twenty-six.

The Deceit Beasts were bound by Bone-locking Body Sealing Chains; otherwise, they would have surely turned on each other.

"Most have consumed Longqing Tree fruits more than five times. Only the Mountain Demon Beast survived seven times. Let’s continue accelerating the pace."

Unfortunately, the efficacy of the fruit was waning, making it increasingly difficult for the beasts to advance to the Weak Crown Stage, revealing its inherent limitations.

Li Mo’s gaze fell upon the Mountain Demon, a creature over three meters tall.

Even seated cross-legged, it stood a full head taller than the others. Its fur bristled, and its exposed spine was riddled with fleshy buds, attempting to entangle the nearby beasts.

Li Mo tossed another Longqing Tree fruit into the cage. The Deceit Beasts scrambled to devour it, followed by the sound of flesh rupturing in explosions across the enclosure.

The Mountain Demon Beast remained alive, its tail mutating into a tentacle-like form.

Li Mo ignored the cage, waiting for the beasts to absorb the fruit’s medicinal effects while he began sketching images of the monkey-like creatures.

The Mountain Demon Beast watched Li Mo intently. As he lowered his head to paint, its tail lashed out silently.

Thud.

The tail pierced straight through a Deceit Beast’s chest, greedily draining its blood, causing the Mountain Demon Beast to release guttural growls.

Li Mo was wholly absorbed. Unbeknownst to him, the monkeys in his painting gradually converged toward the Mountain Demon, exuding a sinister "malice" beyond description.

As he focused on his artwork, the slaughter inside the cage escalated.

The Mountain Demon Beast savored the agony of its dying kin, its expression contorting malevolently as its tail reaped one after another.

"Oooh oooh oh oh oh!!!"

It broke through to the Weak Crown Stage, making the other beasts even less capable of resisting. The cage was soon littered with broken flesh everywhere.

After massacring its kin, blood-red eyes sprouted across the Mountain Demon Beast’s forehead.

It struggled madly, consumed by thoughts of tearing Li Mo limb from limb—a notion that spurred further bodily mutations.

The Bone-locking Body Sealing Chain meant to restrain the Mountain Demon Beast began to strain under the pressure, being merely a Magic Artifact Embryo casually crafted by Li Mo.

The Mountain Demon became increasingly frenzied. Under the fruit’s medicinal influence, grotesque arms sprouted along its ribcage, fighting against the chain’s constraints.

As the chains threatened to snap, the Mountain Demon Beast suddenly quieted.

It peered down at Li Mo, who stood outside the cage, eyes flickering with a hint of terror. A palpable malice emanated from Li Mo that chilled the beast to its core.

The Mountain Demon seemed crushed under a mountain, gasping for breath as though submerged in water.

Once Li Mo completed his painting, the beast finally relaxed, collapsing on the cage floor with an expression devoid of its former defiance.

"The essence of the Mountain Demon is pure malice."

"A pity. I’m already starting to worry about the intelligence of Tattooed Beasts."

Li Mo rolled up his painting, stepped inside the cage, and the Mountain Demon became restless again, its chest and belly heaving.

The Eight-Armed Spine Nerve flared outward, its spider-like limbs moving faster than the Mountain Demon’s tail, stabbing directly under its jaw into its brain.

The Mountain Demon Beast convulsed briefly before succumbing to the poison, its vitality fading away.

"After forming my core, I’ll probably cultivate Hui Qingyi’s main beast tattoo myself, seeing as I’m planning to raise Deceit Beasts atop Corpse Mountain anyway."

Li Mo skillfully dissected the carcass, tossing the flesh and blood into the mountain. The fourth peak had already grown a third of its way, with nutrients nearing Mid-grade Spirit Materials.

He sighed. High-grade magical artifacts were marvelous, but the sheer amount of Deceit Beast flesh and blood required was absurd.

With Black Wind Ridge’s temple at his back, he harvested over a dozen Deceit Beast corpses daily. Even then, Corpse Mountain still lacked enough to undergo its transformation.

Of course, some of this had to do with Corpse Mountain’s triple-attribute Yin Earth and Wood affinity, granting it far greater potential than ordinary top-grade magical artifacts.

Li Mo absorbed the mountain back into himself, then traced the Beast Head Tattoo onto his right shoulder with Deceit Beast Blood—a process he’d mastered long ago.

The Mountain Demon Beast Head paired with the Golden Toad Beast Head. As the tattoo neared completion, the other Tattooed Beasts grew agitated.

Li Mo’s expression remained calm as his left arm moved steadily up and down.

The Eight-Armed Spine Nerve handled the simulated materials on the side, aiming for a seamless finish.

As the Mountain Demon Beast Head reached full form, a surge of raw malice washed over him. The snarling visage resembled a wrathful spirit from the depths of the Underworld.

Li Mo channeled Spiritual Energy to suppress the Beast Head’s rebellion, continuing quietly to transplant hair, fangs, and eyes.

Due to the realism of the tattoo process, the beast’s spirit surged dramatically, actively absorbing external Poisonous Spirit Energy. This shift made the other Tattooed Beasts acutely aware of danger, prompting them to perform more diligently.

Li Mo raised an eyebrow, surprised at the Mountain Demon Beast Head’s dominance over Poisonous Spirit Energy. He then employed Hui Qingyi to summon the Tattooed Beasts.

With little remaining Spiritual Power Flesh to sustain it, the Mountain Demon emerged only about half a meter tall.

Its back hunched, a semi-corporeal aura of Poisonous Spirit Energy encircled it, its body riddled with deep wounds, and its murky eyes brimmed with venomous malice.

Li Mo patted the Mountain Demon’s head, and it immediately displayed an attitude of submission.

Seeing the Mountain Demon so obedient, he released the Ghost Tiger and other Tattooed Beasts one by one. However, the Mountain Demon quickly became frenzied, darting about chaotically.

The Ghost Tiger couldn’t stand the behavior, swiping a heavy paw down on the Mountain Demon.

In response, the Mountain Demon exploded with Poisonous Spirit Energy. In mere moments, it grew three extra arms, while its head sprouted numerous eyes.

It darted around the Ghost Tiger with unrelenting aggression, its body continuing to mutate ceaselessly, gradually overpowering the experienced Ghost Tiger.

Such bizarre adaptability even surprised Li Mo enough to take notice.

Yet the Mountain Demon’s mutations weren’t entirely controllable; constant adjustments in structure were necessary, and maintaining it demanded a greater consumption of Spiritual Flesh than even the Golden Toad.

Frustrated, the Ghost Tiger’s form bulked up, exhaling thick black smoke that obscured its figure from view.

"Oooh oooh..."

Fueled by battle fervor, the Mountain Demon yanked out one of its rib bones, converting it into a long, narrow staff.

As tensions rose, Li Mo intervened decisively, slapping both the Mountain Demon and Ghost Tiger on their heads.

"I told you not to fight, so you don’t fight. Got it?"

Li Mo’s narrowed eyes radiated a chilling killing intent, forcing the two creatures to nod meekly. Meanwhile, a mocking laughter erupted from the Red Fox nearby.

The Golden Toad maintained its sluggish demeanor. The Kun Whale soared aimlessly in the air, while the Salamander tilted its head, clueless about the unfolding events.

Li Mo reabsorbed the Tattooed Beasts and noted the night’s arrival.

The endless cycle of slaughter had quietly begun.

He had long observed that the temple-serving Deceit Beasts were gradually forming alliances, spreading outward from the mountain to purge their kind.

Detached from the mountain lord’s control, they had become like the River God Village’s Chang Ghosts.

This confirmed Li Mo’s suspicion that Black Wind Ridge’s anomalies weren’t solely caused by the Magic Artifact Statue, but also covert manipulations from Hu Wen.

Hu Wen seemed incapable of waiting any longer to retrieve the Human Skin.

"Ah, I don’t even get time to meditate properly. I might as well deal with those spying Puppet Cultivators quickly."

"Afterward, let the Tattooed Beasts consume Nourishing Yuan Fruits to complete their transformations, preparing for the battle against the Mountain Demon Strange Beast."