Longevity Strange Immortal
Chapter 122 - 123 The Ascending Ancestor Master Tian Chenzi

Chapter 122: Chapter 123 The Ascending Ancestor Master Tian Chenzi

Here is the translated text:

Black Wind Ridge was adorned with lanterns and festive decorations, with Taoism’s unique Yin Yang ornaments visible everywhere.

One grotesque Deceit Beast after another, their faces twisted in disgust, donned Daoist robes and carried two-foot horsetail whisks in hand, adding a hint of solemnity to the Sacrificial Festival.

"Wandering souls, where do you dwell? Graves and forests shrouded in strange mysteries. We now invite the Mountain God, the Generals of the Five Ways, the local land spirits, the household Stove Lord..."

"And once more, we bow in homage to the Ancestor Master!"

On either side of the street, the Deceit Beasts emitted heart-rending cries, their expressions growing increasingly fervent. Some even smashed their heads against the ground relentlessly.

After nearly a month of buildup, Black Wind Ridge now had only believers remaining.

The Sacrificial Festival proceeded in waves.

Clanging drums and gongs sounded as a dozen human-bear-like Deceit Beasts, brawny and muscular, slowly pulled iron chains. Trailing behind them was a statue over four meters tall, with three heads, six arms, and eight legs.

Even as the hands and feet of the human-bear Deceit Beasts were mangled and bloodied, not an ounce of pain seemed evident.

The gathered Deceit Beasts muttered mantras while splashing blood onto the statue. Some believers didn’t hesitate to use sharp implements to cut away their own flesh.

Li Mo sat cross-legged within the statue, his brows furrowed as he scrutinized the Sacrificial Festival.

His current wish to escape the statue’s confinement was clearly fraught with obstacles. Any attempt would likely provoke the Deceit Beasts into an uproar, undermining Hu Wen’s plans.

Additionally, as the sacrificial event unfolded, the Creation Book continued to spill fragments of memory.

From these fragments, Li Mo gleaned that the ancient Heart Beast Sect’s Sacrificial Festivals were far more ordinary, where only dew was sprinkled upon the statue.

In these memories, disciples from both the Inner and Outer Sect looked on with reverent expressions as Tian Chenzi’s statue was carried away.

Li Mo muttered softly, "The moment Tian Chenzi died and his Dao dissipated likely coincided with the celestial upheaval that changed the Cultivation World."

Since the concept of immortality didn’t exist in those ancient times, it suggests that around seven thousand years ago, a catastrophic calamity struck the Cultivation World, subjecting countless Immortal and mortal beings to the ravages of the Nine Tribulation Death Disease.

Li Mo referred to this hidden historical disaster as the Heaven and Earth Upheaval.

Unfortunately, the currently available information was so fragmented that only Land Immortals who had survived for over ten thousand years could possibly grasp its true nature.

"However, the Black Wind Ridge’s Mountain Lord Strange Beast must have participated in these ancient Sacrificial Festivals during its lifetime."

Setting aside further conjecture, Li Mo decided that resolving the immediate predicament was crucial. After all, the Heaven and Earth Upheaval wasn’t something someone in their Weak Crown Period could delve into.

After long deliberation, he resolved to let the Ghost Tiger slip out of the statue’s hidden door first.

Once the Ghost Tiger caused a commotion within the city and drew the believers’ attention, Li Mo could then escape the statue with much greater ease.

Li Mo focused intently on a shadowy corner of the street where the statue could be concealed—an ideal spot for the Ghost Tiger to facilitate a flawless escape.

Ka-ka-ka...

Just as he was about to act, a rustling noise suddenly emanated from the secret door outside.

Li Mo instinctively tensed every muscle in his body, only to discover a palm-sized spider clinging to the secret door at the back of the statue’s head.

The spider exuded a familiar aura, unmistakably originating from Han Cai.

If memory served him right, the spider was part of Han Cai’s dual cultivation in a magical spell called Spider Heart Human Face Magic, which enabled the breeding of puppet spiders.

With a single thought, Li Mo opened the secret door slightly—a gap no wider than the width of a finger. The spider’s limbs groped about briefly before it wriggled bonelessly into the interior.

The spider quickly scuttled to Li Mo’s front, then began to writhe uncontrollably.

Its back’s human-face pattern spawned fleshy tendrils, and within moments, transformed into Han Cai’s visage, its expression helplessly fixed upon Li Mo.

"Master Han..."

The human-faced spider let out a cold scoff—it was indeed Han Cai. "Li Mo, you’ve certainly exceeded expectations; I thoroughly underestimated you."

Li Mo replied with an awkward smile, "Master, I never intended to reveal myself; surely Black Wind Ridge’s spontaneous sacrificial ritual can’t be blamed on me."

All he had done was diligently collect Deceit Beast flesh and blood in preparation for the Corpse Mountain’s transformation. But then, the Sacrificial Festival had disrupted his original plans entirely.

Softening his tone, Han Cai remarked, "Your little mishap turned out to be surprisingly helpful. Otherwise, it would’ve taken at least an additional six months to achieve this stage."

"Black Wind Ridge is teeming with these inscrutable Chang Ghosts."

"Hu Wen used the thousand-year-old ancient herb to fashion an array around Black Mountain Ridge capable of wresting Chang Ghosts from the Mountain Lord Strange Beast’s control..."

"Thousand-year-old ancient herb?!!"

Li Mo couldn’t help but burst out.

Thousand-year-old ancient herb, as a top-grade spiritual material, could directly enhance a spirit beast’s intelligence upon consumption, not to mention its essential role in alchemy. Its value was undeniable; using it for an array seemed an enormous waste.

"It was Tian Changwen who supplied the thousand-year-old ancient herb. By the time Hu Wen acquired it, its leaves were gone, and even its rhizome was merely a fragment."

Li Mo considered asking Hu Wen whether any remnants of the rhizome remained. If planted in the Corpse Mountain, it might possess a slim chance of sprouting anew.

"What on earth is the deal with Black Wind Ridge?"

Stretching his limbs, Han Cai answered, "Even your master is unable to discern Black Wind Ridge’s true nature. It likely traces back to that Mountain Lord Strange Beast."

"Master Han, what should I do?"

"For now, my disciple, stay within the statue. Hu Wen and I will be present on-site during the ritual, coordinating inside and out to ensure your safety."

Han Cai added cautiously, "If you feel unsafe, you can leave the statue at any moment. You won’t have to deal with the Deceit Beasts yourself."

"No problem," Li Mo agreed readily.

The Sacrificial Festival was meant to honor Tian Chenzi—a rite for expressing gratitude to the celestial favor bestowed by Heaven. Should the Beast Calamity flare up unpredictably, Han Cai and Hu Wen would undeniably bear the brunt of its wrath.

The advantage of remaining within the statue was clear; Li Mo could disrupt the ritual at will. His earlier concerns primarily stemmed from Han Cai and Hu Wen’s momentary disappearance.

Besides, he had begun to uncover parts of the Acquired Dao Body’s abilities. Though casting these abilities demanded substantial energy, they sufficed for self-preservation against the Beast Calamity.

"I’ll oversee the grand scheme. The minute the Mountain Lord Strange Beast appears, Li Mo, you may withdraw from Black Wind Ridge at your discretion."

"I’ll summon Hu Wen as well, so you can decide when the timing feels right."

After speaking, Han Cai’s face turned a sickly greenish-purple, as though something was gestating inside him, before he opened his mouth and expelled a spider egg.

Within mere breaths, the spider egg hatched—a newborn human-faced spider now bore Hu Wen’s facial features.

Though Hu Wen comprehended Li Mo’s predicament somewhat, she hadn’t anticipated him using the statue as a Seclusion Room.

Was this sheer disregard for convention, or merely unyielding purity of mind?

Amidst the perilous Black Wind Ridge, Li Mo unexpectedly found the composure to cultivate in seclusion. Judging from the increasingly robust Qi Blood Spiritual Power resonating from him, he hadn’t squandered the past month.

"Li Mo, are you interested in becoming the Manager of the Calligraphy and Painting Hall?"

Hu Wen’s abrupt proposition left him uncertain how to respond. "Steward Hu, isn’t the Calligraphy and Painting Hall still under your leadership?"

Hu Wen didn’t push further, sensing Li Mo’s reluctance in his tone.

Li Mo discerned that Hu Wen’s condition might be deteriorating. Perhaps forcibly advancing to the Fake Pill stage had triggered the premature onset of the Death Disease’s symptoms.

The Death Disease in the Uncertainty Period was infamous for its fear-inducing severity.

The atmosphere descended into silence. The Deceit Beasts continued hauling the statue forward. Nearing the mountain terrain, the upward incline proved increasingly challenging.

Even the human-bear Deceit Beasts succumbed to the metallic statue’s crushing weight, gradually releasing the chains before collapsing into heaps of corpses.

Immediately, fanatical believers stepped forward to fill their vacant spots.

Deceit Beasts that perished were promptly chopped into pieces and scattered across the statue’s surface, steadily accumulating flesh within its Mustard Space.

Li Mo selectively gathered corpses of the more formidable Deceit Beasts, storing them in his Storage Bag to nourish the Corpse Mountain once the Beast Calamity subsided.

The fourth cliff was now on the brink of surpassing the Earth Yin Sub-peak. Transformation was merely a matter of timing.

Hu Wen murmured, "We’re almost there."

Li Mo shifted his gaze outward.

At the town’s center, a colossal platform had been constructed. The platform’s exterior was etched with the distorted patterns emblematic of the Heart Beast Sect.

One Deceit Beast after another sat cross-legged at the platform’s perimeter, their human skin exceeding eighty percent—suggesting the faint yet undeniable grace of a Dao Bone Immortal cultivator.

Li Mo quickly spotted Han Cai and Hu Wen among the crowd. Unlike the Deceit Beasts cloaked in beast skin, the two appeared undisguised, relying on certain magical techniques to blend in openly in human form.

As the statue approached, the Deceit Beasts chanted in unison, "The tiger seeks to devour the hundred beasts—defying nature’s decree!"

"Heart Beast, Heart Beast, Heart Beast!"

They held their palms together, performing the Heart Beast Sect’s traditional salute.

Li Mo felt a fleeting sense of disorientation, as if transported back seven thousand years to the era of the Heart Beast Sect, a time unspoiled by impure Spiritual Energy, when Immortals and mortals still grappled with life and death.

He murmured to himself, "Could the Heart Beast tradition now reside in the Inner City?"

The statue settled evenly in the platform’s very center.

The Deceit Beasts directly facing the statue had skin coverage exceeding eighty percent, marking their status as Inner Sect disciples; those lined along the sides with seventy percent skin coverage represented Outer Sect disciples; while those at the rear with merely sixty percent were servant disciples.

The remaining Deceit Beasts, unqualified to ascend the platform, knelt on the ground below.

Han Cai couldn’t help but wonder aloud, "What exactly is the origin of Black Wind Ridge’s Mountain Lord Strange Beast to inspire such an eerie ritual?"

Hu Wen replied indifferently, "It’s merely instinct. The Mountain Lord Strange Beast likely operates on sheer impulse, embodying the Beast Calamity."

"Perhaps it retains deep impressions of experiences from its former life."

Li Mo shared their view, though he suspected that this was not the only Mountain Lord among the Inner Sect to survive for millennia.

All three of them stood silent, watching and waiting.

From beneath the platform emerged another Deceit Beast, its body covered in over ninety percent human skin. As it moved, blood constantly seeped out.

Even so, the trio identified key details revealing the newcomer’s true nature—it was none other than a Mountain Lord.

Hu Wen grew increasingly agitated while Han Cai hurried to caution, "Hu Wen, that is not the Mountain Lord’s true form—it seems to be..."

Li Mo hesitated briefly before adding, "I believe it’s merely the Mountain Lord’s imagined self. In other words, Black Wind Ridge is an illusion realm riddled with Chang Ghosts, though one unnervingly close to reality."

According to the Creation Book’s memories, a Foundation Establishment cultivator named Master Qiong Yu had overseen the Sacrificial Festival that occurred once every fifteen years.

The Deceit Beast bowed and declared, "Disciple Qiong Yu pays respects to the Immortal Masters of past generations in the Sect."

Li Mo narrowed his eyes, digesting the Creation Book’s continuously emerging memories. Following them, he recited along with Master Qiong Yu as if foretelling the words:

Li Mo: "Today... the Sacrificial Festival solemnly petitions the Three Realms; may Immortals descend to grace this gathering."

"Today... the Sacrificial Festival solemnly petitions the Three Realms; may Immortals descend to grace this gathering."

Li Mo: "We honor the departed Ancestor Master Tian Chenzi, humbly offering thanks for celestial grace."

"We honor the ascended Ancestor Master Tian Chenzi, humbly offering thanks for celestial grace."

"We beseech the Ancestor Master to descend!!!"

Li Mo’s pupils dilated.

Was it the Deceit Beasts’ distorted understanding of the Sacrificial Festival?

Or perhaps after the Heaven and Earth Upheaval, the Heart Beast Sect’s Sacrificial Festivals naturally transformed into such eerie and surreal displays?