Longevity Strange Immortal
Chapter 130 - 131: Am I Not A Child Device Sect Disciple?

Chapter 130: Chapter 131: Am I Not A Child Device Sect Disciple?

After the metal dust outbreak, the altitude of Duozhi Mountain ceased to climb, yet the environmental deterioration grew increasingly severe.

Looking around, the vegetation withered, and the surface of the rivers was littered with the corpses of fish and shrimp.

The surrounding villages were abandoned, refugees fleeing to towns far from Duozhi Mountain, with blackened remains occasionally seen along the roadside.

Boom...

Another tremor shook the land.

Duozhi Mountain once again spewed an overwhelmingly dense cloud of metal dust, shrouding the world in a suffocating, pale-yellow mist.

The Mountain and Sea Market became desolate, most shops shielded by Arrays to ward off the toxic air.

Within mere days, the Beast Cultivators of Rong Town had left one after another, deeply wary of the sudden anomaly.

The once-coveted Medicine Fields now lay abandoned en masse, with only a few Puppet Cultivators resolutely holding their ground.

The Beast Calamity had ended, but the chess game continued.

Tian Changwen’s schemes left no room for Puppet Cultivators in Rong Town, forcing Shi Ji and the others to relocate to Duozhi Mountain.

From the uncontrollable coughing of the Loose Cultivators on the streets of the Mountain and Sea Market, one could sense their fates were already foreshadowed.

Yet, most Loose Cultivators still clung to the Mountain and Sea Market or watched events unfold from Fuxing Town at the mountain’s base.

"What kind of cursed era is this? I can’t even tell if it’s good or bad..."

Song Liang wrapped his head in the Golden Sand Map, frowning as he made his way through the Mountain and Sea Market.

The Loose Cultivators he brushed past were uniformly emaciated, their transplanted arms disproportionately muscular, resembling lifelike Magic Artifacts rather than flesh and blood.

The Puppet Cultivators had already discerned the pros and cons of Duozhi Mountain.

The transplanted arms indeed absorbed nutrients from the host’s body, enabling continuous growth. But at the same time, their cultivation efficiency also improved.

They became addicted, even convincing themselves they could easily control the dangers and withdraw calmly before their foundations suffered irreversible damage.

Loose Cultivators were already a group of madmen, and their behavior had now grown increasingly extreme.

Song Liang hurried back to the Artifact Refining Shop. The moment he removed the Golden Sand Map, he couldn’t resist gasping for air, his lungs faintly aching—likely from unintentionally inhaling the metal dust.

He instinctively glanced around and saw that all the Cultivators affiliated with the Artifact Refining Shop were gathered, including Zhao Zhu and the siblings Li Qingfang and Li Mo.

Their skin appeared dark and dull, their eyes bloodshot, with swollen, blackened gums.

Song Liang’s gaze fell on the window, where Li Mo sat expressionlessly, observing the various Loose Cultivators along the streets.

Song Liang forced a sheepish smile and then sat across from Li Mo.

"It seems Fellow Daoist Li’s seclusion went smoothly. Your aura feels more restrained and solid."

Li Mo hadn’t seen Song Liang in a long time. The latter had grown more rotund, completely lacking the sharpness he once possessed as Head of Escort.

Song Liang appeared slightly uneasy.

Since the Futu Hermit’s seclusion, Song Liang had single-handedly seized power over the Mountain and Sea Market. Even though he never actively skimmed profits, the bribes from the various factions were still a considerable sum.

Li Mo tapped his fingers on the table and spoke under Song Liang’s nervous gaze: "Song Liang, I won’t interfere with the Mountain and Sea Market from now on."

"This..."

Song Liang’s expression grew conflicted.

In his plans, as long as the shop Arrays could protect the Loose Cultivators’ long-term habitation, it wouldn’t impact the earnings from Spirit Stones.

After all, the Mountain and Sea Market was a necessary path through Duozhi Mountain.

Seeing the resistance in Song Liang’s heart, Li Mo took a sip of tea and continued, "I’ll inform the factions clearly: if you wish to maintain the Mountain and Sea Market, you must handle matters on your own."

Song Liang’s gaze flickered, clearly tempted but wary it might be a test from Li Mo. He quickly explained, "How could the Mountain and Sea Market be entrusted to me, Fellow Daoist Li..."

Li Mo gestured dismissively, making his stance unmistakable.

"A word of caution: the Puppet Cultivators from Rong Town will undoubtedly intervene in Duozhi Mountain. And with the Beast Cultivators completely withdrawn..."

"In the future, the Puppet Cultivators will dominate entirely. Earning Spirit Stones from the Mountain and Sea Market will not be so easy."

There were things Li Mo didn’t openly state: Duozhi Mountain had been a setup by the Sub-Device Sect from the very beginning. Continuing to oversee the Mountain and Sea Market would bring endless trouble.

He had already earned over fifty thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones from the Mountain and Sea Market. Considering the resource scarcity in the Heart Beast Territory, there wouldn’t be much to spend even with tens of thousands more.

Besides, no one could predict how Duozhi Mountain would develop next. It was better to step back for now and observe.

Song Liang frowned, entangled in indecision.

He hesitated to abandon the Mountain and Sea Market, yet the thought of the intertwined interests restrained his resolve.

"Fellow Daoist Li, since the Mountain and Sea Market involves so many factions... I’ll temporarily manage it for now."

Li Mo didn’t expose Song Liang’s hidden intentions. He swept his gaze over the Cultivators in the Artifact Refining Shop, noticing their reluctance as they lowered their heads.

He merely shook his head lightly and rose. After all, the path ahead was for each to choose themselves.

"Heiwa."

Zhao Zhu hesitated for a long time before stepping out of the crowd with a bitter smile. "It’s been ages since I returned to Rong Town. Master Xu Hu was a benefactor who guided me—it’s about time I visited him."

He cupped his fists and said, "Thank you, fellow colleagues, for your care. Until we meet again."

The Li Qingfang siblings said nothing, instead looking at Zhao Zhu with confusion, unable to understand why he chose to relinquish his managerial position.

"Zhu Zi."

Li Mo patted Zhao Zhu on the shoulder as they walked out of the Artifact Refining Shop together.

"If you get the chance, Zhu Zi, return to Niu Village. Second Uncle must be missing you."

"Alright. Heiwa, when will you leave? Shall we go together?"

"Not now. I need to stay near Duozhi Mountain to cultivate. If you need anything, you can seek Doctor Han at the Medical Hall..."

Zhao Zhu watched Li Mo’s silhouette disappear into the thick mist, a trace of daze in his expression—it had already been twenty years.

Recalling his awkward departure from the village back then, he couldn’t help but laugh.

"Heiwa, I’ll be waiting at the pawn shop for drinks. Make sure you reach Core Formation!"

Li Mo waved his hand in response, his figure vanishing into the depths of the mist.

His steps didn’t falter as he entered a shadowy alley. Under the faint light, two layers of human skin seamlessly swapped inside and out.

The tattoo patterns on Li Mo’s skin faded, his appearance undergoing a dramatic transformation. Without the savage beast-like aura, his presence became entirely different.

He had previously communicated with the secluded Futu Hermit via Spirit Talisman, and the latter had also advised him to keep out of muddy waters.

If he couldn’t part with the abundant smog spiritual energy of Duozhi Mountain, he should find a place to lay low.

The Futu Hermit had done just that, taking the also-retreating Jin Li along; even Li Mo didn’t know their exact whereabouts.

Only by staying in Duozhi Mountain did Li Mo have a short-term chance of advancing to the Fake Core Stage.

For ordinary Cultivators, breathing in metal dust would inevitably lead to irreversible metalization of the internal organs, necessitating protective Daoist Robes and Magical Tools.

Only Li Mo felt as though he were a fish in water.

It was as if his Primordial Dao Body was inherently suited for such a heavy-metal-polluted environment.

Li Mo even had the illusion that, as his Primordial Dao Body absorbed the external metal dust, it invisibly strengthened his foundation.

Could it be that the Sub-Device Sect was built in high-pollution areas? If so, just how advantageous would their bodies be?

Lost in thought, Li Mo soon arrived at the northwest corner of the Mountain and Sea Market.

He needed to monitor the Puppet Cultivators to determine whether Duozhi Mountain was safe, making reclusion in some remote mountain cave unrealistic.

Li Mo stopped before an old, long-abandoned shop.

The walls were covered in mold, and the doors and windows creaked in the wind. Judging by the signboard, the shop used to deal in meat products.

Li Mo removed the weathered signboard and brazenly moved in, choosing to hide in plain sight while continuing his cultivation.

Meanwhile, he also didn’t stop refining the Five Poison Five God Heart Sutra.

Although he could no longer collect Fake Core Stage cultivation techniques from the Mountain and Sea Market, it didn’t matter. As a Daoist, Li Mo was entitled to request cultivation techniques.

Thick-skinned as ever, he asked Han Cai to help him pick techniques, and the latter reluctantly agreed.

Soon, Han Cai passed on three Fake Core Stage techniques through thought transference, one of which was his main practice, the Taishang Thousand Feet Technique.

Li Mo gladly accepted, then had his Tao Seed absorb the techniques’ contents.

The three techniques directly spurred the Tao Seed’s rotation. The Five Poison Five God Heart Sutra visibly became more complete, growing increasingly profound.

Li Mo watched intently as the Heart Sutra took on a gradually unfamiliar form.

The Primordial Tao Seed wasn’t merely perfecting the Fake Core Stage content—it was also refining the Childhood and Weak Crown Period stages. Seeing this, Li Mo was ecstatic.

The Five Poison Five God Heart Sutra’s method of breaking through the Fake Core Stage was utterly unique.

It required absorbing the Five Elements Poison, condensing a Void Pill within each of the Five Internal Organs. Once breaking through the Weak Crown Period, the Void Pills would be guided into the Middle Dantian.

The mutual neutralization of the Five Elements Poison would release the Five Elements Qi, allowing advancement.

"No wonder it’s the Primordial Tao Seed..."

Li Mo’s Paoxiao Swallowing Body could convert deadly toxins into nourishment, ensuring that none of the poisons representing the Five Elements Void Pills would go to waste.

Relying on the Five Poison Five God Heart Sutra to form a Fake Core, Li Mo was eighty percent confident of achieving a High Grade Golden Core, laying a solid foundation for the Nascent Soul stage.

In fact, the Five Elements Poisons were already readily available—poisonous substances from Tattooed Beasts and the abundant toxic spiritual materials cultivated on Corpse Mountain.

Although Li Mo was in the Late Teenage stage, he hadn’t yet subdued his Three Spirits, giving him ample time to prepare the Void Pills of the Five Elements.

He repaired the shop to ensure its structural stability.

With the transformation of Corpse Mountain incomplete, Li Mo couldn’t open a liquor shop, so he focused entirely on closed-door cultivation within his hideout.

During this time, the Mountain and Sea Market grew increasingly chaotic without Li Mo holding the reins.

Even though Song Liang did his best to mediate conflicts between factions, greed quickly spiraled out of control once interests were involved.

Open and covert struggles became commonplace in the Mountain and Sea Market.

Nameless corpses hung upside down in shopfronts were a frequent sight, giving rise to numerous gangs extorting protection fees.

Li Mo had assumed Shi Ji would personally oversee Duozhi Mountain. Surprisingly, Shi Ji did not occupy the Medicine Fields but instead withdrew all Puppet Cultivators.

He left the entire Duozhi Mountain for the Loose Cultivators to divide amongst themselves.

Li Mo grew increasingly uneasy, suddenly noticing the Loose Cultivators’ transplanted arms, which now resembled the thriving spiritual materials in the Medicine Fields.

His expression shifted, and he informed the Futu Hermit before descending the mountain.

Shi Ji’s actions were essentially treating the Loose Cultivators as spiritual materials, a gift for the potential arrival of the Sub-Device Sect to avoid drawing attention to himself.

As Li Mo pondered, a bold idea struck him.

If I already have the Sub-Device Sect’s disciple credentials and Taoist Body, why not take their place and escape this game entirely?