Longevity Strange Immortal
Chapter 126 - 127: Divination on the 10th Day, No Life Shall Be Granted

Chapter 126: Chapter 127: Divination on the 10th Day, No Life Shall Be Granted

The dense fog shrouding Rong Town began to disperse, heralding the nearing conclusion of the Daoist lineage conflict, yet the aftermath still loomed with troubles aplenty.

The opposition between the Puppet Beast factions had strained the already tenuous balance.

Some Beast Cultivators even sought to incite Tian Changwen into annihilating the Puppet Cultivation heritage, though the upper echelons of Beast Cultivators understood that the Multi-limb Technique was backed by the Sub-Device Sect, a force of inevitable influence.

Boom... Boom... Boom...

Rong Town trembled as the earth shook, buildings across the town returning to their original positions.

Nonetheless, the vast stretches of streets left in ruins would demand considerable time and labor from the populace to rebuild.

Cultivators were no longer restricted in their movements and could freely come and go within the town’s bounds.

However, to prevent the Puppet and Beast factions from clashing openly, the Government Office dispatched constables to patrol the streets, blanketing Rong Town in oppressive tension.

A storm gathering in the mountains, the winds fill the tower.

The mountain rain halts abruptly, leaving nothing but devastation in its wake.

The Medical Hall was awash with deafening commotion; even from hundreds of meters away, the agonizing screams within pierced the air, sending shudders down the spine.

Jin Li approached the hall’s entrance, the sound of occasional sheep’s bleating intertwined among the cries, halting him in his tracks.

After hesitating for an extended moment, he mustered his courage, pushing through the Medical Hall’s doorway, and was struck by a sight akin to hell on earth, involuntarily gasping at the scene.

The spacious lobby housed over a hundred grotesque monstrosities.

None among them retained a remotely human form; their limbs were at varying stages of mutation, their flesh sprouting black, needle-like hair.

Some severely afflicted individuals had bodies reduced to oversized, quivering masses of flesh, their facial features scattered around the surface, supporting their bloated frames on a single sheep’s hoof.

As Jin Li’s gaze swept across the room, nausea roiled in his stomach.

He understood the nature of the Deceit Beasts, and his desire to advance to the Weak Crown phase grew ever more intense within.

He knew that, should he succumb to the Death Disease in the future without sufficient power to weather the ordeal, his old age might very well resemble this dreadful state.

One of the assistants stopped Jin Li, his face marked with terror, as he warned, "Don’t come in. The scent they emanate carries a corrosive nature."

"Hm? I recognize you. Are you here to see Li Mo?"

Zhou Fawei, clad bodily in a tightly-wound magic robe and masked, was at the moment aiding in suppressing the grotesque monstrosities’ mutations symbolically, his tone speaking of exhaustion.

"Yes, Mountain and Sea Hermit."

"Wait at the entrance for a moment. I’ve already sent someone to inform him."

Jin Li nodded in acknowledgment. Feeling ill at ease, he turned his attention away, only to be unnerved once again by the eerie mumblings of the Deceit Beast.

His peripheral vision caught sight of one in the corner, whose appearance seemed faintly familiar.

"Li Zhuang?"

The Deceit Beast also noticed Jin Li and let out anguished wails, its memories blurred but retaining fundamental instincts.

"Save me, save me, Brother Jin Li, I don’t want to turn into a demon..."

The Deceit Beasts in the hall began showing signs of unrest, as wood-aligned spiritual energy spread in all directions, cracks splitting across the walls.

The doctor hurried to suppress the Deceit Beasts, while the assistants stumbled backward in terror.

One assistant tripped over some debris and fell flat on his back, his face coming into contact with residual Deceit Beast flesh on the floor. Instantly, signs of mutation emerged.

Fortunately, the doctor reacted swiftly, utilizing the Universal Skillful Hand to clear the fleshy sprouts from the wound before they could encroach upon the brain.

"Damn it."

Zhou Fawei cursed under his breath. If casualties arose from the Deceit Beasts’ riots within the Medical Hall, he would undoubtedly hold full liability.

Though he intended to seek assistance from Han Cai, the latter was in seclusion for rest and recuperation.

Han Cai had, prior to entering his retreat, employed a brain surgery technique to temporarily sever the Deceit Beasts’ external sensory perceptions, leaving Zhou Fawei the simpler task of stabilizing their state.

Yet over the past few days, the Deceit Beasts had periodically spiraled out of control.

A chill ran down Zhou Fawei’s spine, his apprehensive expression betraying no trace of his earlier weariness. "Feng Lin, ignite three liang of Soul Capturing Sandalwood Incense immediately!"

"Yin Wuyi, activate the array within the hall, siphoning away the spiritual energy leaking from the Deceit Beasts, preventing their mutations from worsening further."

"All doctors and assistants who are not affiliated with the Medical Hall, vacate the lobby at once..."

After steadying his nerves, Zhou Fawei began organizing the Medical Hall operations with meticulous precision, easing the tension slightly.

But this did little to resolve the root issue, as the Deceit Beasts’ agitation refused to subside.

Zhou Fawei maneuvered through the hall, his forehead beaded with sweat, outwardly composed yet inwardly fraught with unease.

To truly resolve the predicament, they needed to await the conclusion of the slaughterhouse process.

But who could say what Qingfang Taoist had planned? Zhou Fawei couldn’t maintain high-intensity surgical efforts indefinitely without dooming himself.

Thankfully, Li Mo was arriving from the rear courtyard.

Zhou Fawei had pinned all his hopes on Han Cai’s direct disciple. With Li Mo’s medical skills, stabilizing the situation would take no time at all.

Even alternating surgical shifts with him to endure until the slaughterhouse’s completion should pose no great challenge.

Zhou Fawei patiently awaited, his four arms rhythmically rising and lowering. The prolonged focus left his spirit frayed with fatigue.

At the same time, scattered footsteps approached from afar.

Zhou Fawei exhaled in relief, turning toward the dim hallway where he first glimpsed a pair of dark golden vertical pupils.

For some inexplicable reason, a chill ran down his spine, his breathing hastened involuntarily.

The other doctors called out Zhou Fawei’s name repeatedly, urging him to resume his work as the Deceit Beasts grew restless once again.

Outside, Jin Li retreated to a corner, goosebumps prickling his skin.

Just as the Deceit Beasts threatened to lose control, Li Mo appeared in the hall, his palpable aura of malevolence demanding attention, akin to a primordial beast of legend.

The Deceit Beasts froze instantly, the clamor within the Medical Hall reduced to a deafening silence.

Zhou Fawei swallowed hard.

A sudden realization struck him: compared to the ineffable horror of the Deceit Beasts, the seemingly unmutated Li Mo before him might be an even more unfathomable terror.

"Doctor Zhou, if medical skills cannot avert disaster, let’s approach the matter plainly."

Li Mo summoned the Bone-locking Body Sealing Chain.

The iron chain bound the Deceit Beasts one by one, its blood-paralyzing venom seeping into their flesh.

Unsettled, Li Mo activated the Five Poison Five God Heart Sutra, causing the Bone-locking Body Sealing Chain to undergo insectification. Its metallic surface warped into insect armor, accompanied by unsettling, skittering noises.

Under the watchful gaze of Zhou Fawei and the other cultivators, the chain transformed into a human-faced centipede.

The centipede’s legs pierced into the Deceit Beasts’ flesh, the mutated venom amplifying its potency, rendering the creatures powerless to open their mouths.

Li Mo, satisfied, nodded slightly.

Following the accidental integration of the Evergreen Tree’s essence into the Corpse Mountain, Li Mo lacked an appropriate magical artifact for his Five Internal Organs cultivations. Thus, completing the Bone-locking Body Sealing Chain’s Ten Refinements, he opted to make it one of his regular techniques.

The Ten Refinements enhanced the magic artifact’s capacity for prolonged independence from its wielder.

Indeed, as a mid-grade magical artifact primarily centered on sealing, the Bone-locking Body Sealing Chain complemented Li Mo’s current techniques perfectly.

After merging the bone powder of a cultivator, the artifact became effective against both factions—Puppet Beast cultivators and Beast cultivators alike.

More importantly, Li Mo’s methods were notoriously brutal. The chain allowed him to spare lives where necessary, saving him from unintended casualties.

In the grand estate encounter, though assaulted by twenty to thirty Puppet Cultivators, the inhabitants of the Yin Attribute Secondary Peak only increased by nine.

The rest had been reduced to shredded corpses by Li Mo’s uncontrollable ferocity.

Such wastefulness was truly regrettable.

"Rise."

Li Mo hoisted the Deceit Beasts up onto the ceiling, then strode toward the courtyard amid the respectful gazes of doctors within the Medical Hall.

Having seen firsthand the extent of Li Mo’s power, Jin Li was hardly surprised by this point.

Li Mo released Breath Fog, enveloping the two of them to isolate their conversation.

Jin Li leaned against the wall with a wry smile, saying, "Brother Li, in a few days, the exits of Rong Town will reopen. I plan to return to Duozhi Mountain and prepare my Foundation Establishment."

"Congratulations."

Li Mo assessed Jin Li silently. His foundation seemed solid, though cultivation during childhood often relied heavily on resources as shortcuts.

To Li Mo, Jin Li’s success in Foundation Establishment was a matter of fortune. With a deep tone, he asked, "Do you need anything?"

Jin Li shook his head slightly, replying, "No, I’ve taken too many shortcuts. I intend to use the slower, grinding method to liquefy my spiritual power bit by bit."

"Enough of that; Brother Li, take care while you remain in Rong Town."

Seeing Jin Li’s hesitation, Li Mo understood his concerns. The Daoist lineage conflict was but a prelude; he doubted Tian Changwen would settle merely for the Hundred Beasts Blood Body.

"After I finish handling matters in the Medical Hall, I’ll return to Duozhi Mountain as well."

Jin Li appeared momentarily shocked—would Li Mo not vie for the Hundred Beasts Blood Body?

There was no reason for him to linger in Rong Town; the abundant smog spiritual energy at Duozhi Mountain was his quickest path to achieving the Fake Core phase.

With that thought, Li Mo handed Jin Li a sheet of paper, asking him to relay it to Futu Hermit.

Though the Daoist lineage conflict had ended, as long as Rong Town remained enveloped by fog, external communication via spiritual tablets and talismans was impossible.

Li Mo needed Futu Hermit’s help to gather various resources.

Materials to construct the Corpse Mountain ecosystem; spiritual materials for the plantation; books related to alchemy and artifact refining; elixirs aiding cultivation...

Above all, he hoped Futu Hermit would procure several cultivation techniques, preferably those detailing breakthroughs to the Fake Core phase.

Though even a more sinister technique would suffice, as he didn’t intend to practice it himself.

Temporarily, Li Mo didn’t plan to switch from the Five Poison Five God Heart Sutra, but its coverage of the Fake Core phase was far too scant. Attempting a breakthrough using it might impact subsequent Core Formation.

It would be wise to first refine the sutra using the Primordial Dao Seed before proceeding.

Jin Li took meticulous note before departing the Medical Hall. Who knew how many years his Foundation Establishment would take? Perhaps over a decade.

Li Mo watched Jin Li’s retreating figure fade into the distance.

The mercilessness of the cultivation path was beyond description. Despite the promise of immortality, many familiar peers inevitably vanished without a trace.

Buried in foreign land or ravaged by Death Disease, some chose to retire from the world entirely.

Li Mo glanced at his own still-vibrant body, and any flicker of complacency dissipated like smoke.

Ignoring the doctors’ flattering words, Li Mo resumed the monotonous Circulation Cycle practice, occasionally emerging to maintain the Bone-locking Body Sealing Chain.

Time flowed like a fleeting horse.

As heavy snow blanketed the deep winter, the Deceit Beasts gradually disappeared.

A group of cultivators emerged from the slaughterhouse, their faces dazed, all bearing varying degrees of Deceit Beastification. For years to come, they would rely on the Medical Hall’s elixirs for suppression.

The townsfolk hidden within Rong Town’s cellars awoke.

They questioned the constables along the streets what year it was, then began posting spring couplets on their doorways.

A child raised his voice in song.

"A thousand miles of grass, green and tender, ten days to forecast, none survive."