Longevity Strange Immortal
Chapter 144 - 4: Talent Overwhelms the Sub-Device Sect

Chapter 144: Chapter 4: Talent Overwhelms the Sub-Device Sect

No one’s attention was on Li Mo; everyone was focused on Sheng Ge.

They didn’t know which sect Sheng Ge belonged to, but with the innate talent of the Three Path Body, the spiritual tremors alone during Core Formation and Nascent Soul cultivation could create a blessed land.

If he condensed a High Grade Golden Core, the resources generated would be countless.

Li Mo glanced at Sheng Ge in surprise. No wonder—an Artifact Person uniformly nurtured by a Mother Furnace would indeed have the existence of a Three Path Body.

The other great sects must have mastered similar methods, right?

Li Mo walked toward the Path of Self-Reflection.

He was already mentally prepared; no Tao inheritance would affect his cultivation. With a Primordial Dao Seed, he could truly act without restraint.

However, due to spending too little time in the Mother Furnace, the Ash Spirit Power within the furnace was still only at the First Layer of Puberty, placing him at the lowest tier.

Seeing Li Mo heading toward the Path of Self-Reflection, an Artifact Person kindly cautioned, "Immortal’s lingering presence is still leaking. People like us can’t compare..."

Li Mo waved off the remark, simply activating the newly awakened Dao Body, the "Heavenly Man," causing the Mist Fog Spiritual Power within his Multiple Dantians to become even more suppressed.

The Fake Pill concealed within the Dao Seed almost ceased its rotation. The Mist Fog Spiritual Power became so deeply restrained that even if a Nascent Soul–level Divine Thought swept across his Multiple Dantians, it might not detect his dual-cultivation realms.

The so-called "Heavenly Man" meant that the Dantians would forever suppress spiritual power, and spiritual powers could transform into each other via the Lower Dantian.

The divine skill in the Lower Dantian, "Embrace the Essence and Return to Unity," had already fused as one entity, but its effect had allowed the Paoxiao Swallowing Body to ascend to new heights.

"Embrace the Essence and Return to Unity" represented the ancestor of life, the root of vitality, the foundation of the five internal organs and six viscera, the origin of the twelve meridians, the meeting of Yin and Yang, the gate of breath, and the place where water and fire intersect.

It allowed Essence to become incomparably abundant.

Simultaneously, he moved the Nourishing Yuan Fruits into the Lower Dantian, increasing their number to five, accelerating the accumulation of medicinal potency.

If Li Mo cultivated techniques related to the Lower Dantian, the spiritual power and Nourishing Yuan Fruits would complement each other, making his cultivation progress terrifyingly fast.

Li Mo couldn’t help but think of a renowned innate Taoist body from the ancient cultivation world.

[Heavenly Human Seven Apertures]

It was said that this innate Taoist body had seven Dantians. Unfortunately, at that time, a Single Spirit Root couldn’t sustain seven Core Formations or Nascent Soul breakthroughs, making it rather useless.

"Ah, I want to keep a low profile, but my strength doesn’t allow it."

Li Mo took a step forward, and as he set foot on the Path of Self-Reflection, an invisible wave of air unfurled.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

In an instant, the surrounding thousand meters were swept clean of dust and smoke. The expressions of the Core Formation Artifact Refiners spectating turned utterly astonished.

"Another innate Taoist body? Why is the phenomenon so intense?"

Suspended above Li Mo’s head was a crystalline and translucent Jelly Dao Fruit.

At the center of the Dao Fruit was an eyeball. Profound and inscrutable thoughts sprouted within everyone’s mind, and Li Mo’s expression also grew contemplative.

"Good fortune!"

The hand of the Big Deer Thousand Feet, which had been just two meters away from Sheng Ge, retracted without hesitation at Li Mo’s appearance.

Master Fu Lian and Dome Mountain needed no further deliberation—they immediately abandoned Sheng Ge.

Sheng Ge’s face turned grim. Turning to glance at Li Mo, whose cultivation was shallow, his eyes brimmed with unwillingness, as inexplicable waves of negative emotions brewed in his heart.

"Innate... Leakless Body."

Dome Mountain murmured. A Leakless Body shouldn’t have caused such grandiose manifestations from the Mother Furnace—it was unprecedented in several millennia.

The Big Deer Thousand Feet stroked its chin and seemed to cast some kind of spell.

Click.

A child’s head emerged from the Big Deer Thousand Feet’s mouth. Compared to the original body covered in rotting decay, the child’s smiling face, with a partially extended bluish-green tongue, exuded an ethereal aura akin to an immortal.

Li Mo noticed that the child’s eyes and forehead bore white floral patterns, seemingly symbolic of the Nascent Soul stage trait, "Three Flowers Gathering at the Top."

The Double-headed Taoist raised an eyebrow, secretly pondering, "Nascent Soul emergence? What kind of origin could possess a talent so inscrutable that even a Nascent Soul stage cultivator cannot fathom it?!"

Li Mo continued forward.

The Dao Fruit began naturally peeling away its two outer layers, revealing amber-hued flesh, with intricate patterns intertwined within, faintly spelling the word "Chaos."

"Innate Chaos Dao Body!"

Dome Mountain trembled.

Its frame leaned toward the Path of Self-Reflection, while metal scraps fell like raindrops from its breath, killing most of the bugs surrounding its body.

"You two can fight for the Three Path Body—I’ll take the Chaos Dao Body artifact embryo."

The Leakless Body was extraordinary, but within the Sub-Device Sect, the Chaos Dao Body was of immense significance, symbolizing perfect compatibility with the Taoist inheritance.

The Chaos Dao Body’s corrosive influence on its environment also ranked among the top of the innate Taoist bodies.

"Don’t be hasty; surely it’s not just a Chaos Dao Body."

Master Fu Lian held up a hand to block Dome Mountain.

They both secretly harbored doubts. Why had such an exceptionally gifted artifact embryo gone unnoticed during the Mother Furnace’s nurturing process ten years prior?

The Dao Fruit continued to display visions, its size growing increasingly immense.

The surrounding Artifact Persons didn’t dare breathe, momentarily forgetting they were on the Path of Self-Reflection to participate in the selection of a Taoist inheritance.

As the Dao Fruit continued cracking open, a two-meter-long small beast emerged from it, endlessly morphing form within just a few breaths.

From Red Fox to Ghost Tiger, then Salamander, and finally Kun Whale...

"A postnatal Beast-type Dao Body?"

The Big Deer Thousand Feet turned its head to consult Master Fu Lian. "Both artifact embryos bear Three Path Bodies—can you discern their specific Dao types?"

"Life-gathering Beast Body, perhaps. Better than nothing for the Sub-Device Sect."

Suppressing his internal unrest, Dome Mountain nodded and said, "If that’s the case, grant me the Chaos Dao Body, and I’ll—"

Before he could finish, the phenomena underwent another dramatic transformation. The eyeball within the Dao Fruit began to rotate.

Then, the Dao Fruit transformed into a heart coursing with blood scriptures. All the Artifact Persons instinctively clutched their chests as their hearts began beating erratically beyond their control.

"Paoxiao Swallowing Body..."

The Big Deer Thousand Feet knew that the significance of the Four Tao Body was entirely different. The Sub-Device Sect had produced only one member bearing such a configuration in five millennia—a being with one innate and three postnatal Dao Bodies, who ultimately perished during Core Formation.

Moreover, the mutual conflicts among the Four Tao Bodies had rendered that artifact embryo’s appearance grotesquely deformed, unlike Li Mo, who exhibited virtually no mutation.

The Paoxiao Swallowing Body could even help cultivators build an unrivaled foundation.

Core Formation was well within reach, and as long as he didn’t perish prematurely, there was an eighty percent chance of achieving the Nascent Soul stage.

The surges unleashed during breakthroughs could at least double the resources of affiliated Taoist inheritances, not to mention elevating influence within the Sub-Device Sect.

Dome Mountain said no more because he knew that the Big Deer Thousand Feet and Master Fu Lian would never relent. From within his body emerged countless arms.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Dome Mountain and the Big Deer Thousand Feet clashed fiercely, and Master Fu Lian also seemed eager to join the fray.

The Core Formation Artifact Refiners worked to stabilize the situation, fearing unintended injuries and couldn’t help but cast complex glances at Li Mo.

If nothing unexpected occurred, another Nascent Soul cultivator would rise within just a few centuries.

Standing on the Path of Self-Reflection, Sheng Ge’s body trembled precariously. The terrifying pressure exuded by Li Mo nearly shattered his Tao Heart.

Only Li Mo himself knew that the phenomena weren’t over yet.

He felt trapped, the commotion he had caused far too grand, though he had no regrets—for inscribing the Lower Dantian’s marks was inevitable sooner or later.

Should he join the Sub-Device Sect, explaining the origins of his innate Taoist body would prove far more challenging.

Sheng Ge cast a scrutinizing gaze at Li Mo, trying to discern the latter’s peculiarities but found himself unable to even meet Li Mo’s eyes; sweat poured down his forehead.

Li Mo sighed and brushed past him as strange noises resonated within his body. Four Dantians faintly emitted a glow through his skin.

Sheng Ge collapsed to his knees, his head drooping in utter defeat.

"Five Tao Body?"

The Path of Self-Reflection fell into complete silence. Even the Nascent Soul–level Artifact Refiners ceased their combat.

The myriad Artifact Persons exchanged glances. Freshly emerging from the Mother Furnace, they vaguely sensed that they were bearing witness to a historic moment for the Sub-Device Sect.

The Core Formation Artifact Refiners, meanwhile, were filled with unease, fearing that Li Mo might reveal yet another Tao Body—after all, the abundance of innate Taoist bodies defied reason.

"Is this... Heavenly Human Seven Apertures?"

Master Fu Lian couldn’t help but exclaim, while Dome Mountain and the Big Deer Thousand Feet were utterly at a loss concerning the mystery of this Tao Body.

One thing, however, was clear: judging by Li Mo’s composed demeanor, the dissonance among the Five Tao Bodies appeared minimal, leaving his potential practically boundless.

During a momentary reprieve in his tussle with the Big Deer Thousand Feet, Dome Mountain turned and asked, "A Five Tao Body but stuck at the First Layer of Puberty—could it be that they...?"

Master Fu Lian shook her head and replied, "Impossible—they wouldn’t waste a Five Tao Body."

"True."

Amid the enigmatic atmosphere, Li Mo had already traversed the Path of Self-Reflection.

"Master Fu Lian, let’s join forces to claim both Dao Bodies first, and then sort them out afterward."

After Dome Mountain said this, Master Fu Lian clasped her hands together. Sheets of silver scales peeled from her skin, blending into the pervasive mist.

"I was waiting for you to say that."

Dome Mountain exhaled a blast of waste gas, completely enveloping the stage of "Three Nascent Soul Emergence." To onlookers, only rolling plumes of multicolored dust were visible.

Sheng Ge’s face turned deathly pale. His own talent paled in comparison to the Five Tao Body’s radiance, losing even the fleeting attention of Nascent Soul–level cultivators.

"At least my cultivation is ahead; I’m only half a step away from Foundation Establishment..."

Li Mo sat cross-legged at the end of the path, closing his eyes to commune with the furnace. Whistling winds swirled, Spiritual Energy surging toward his nostrils like a torrent.

The furnace buzzed relentlessly. With the augmentation of the Heavenly Man and the Chaos Dao Body’s ability to connect with external Spiritual Energy, the Paoxiao Swallowing Body devoured energy without restraint. Meanwhile, the Leakless Body ensured that not a single fraction of energy went to waste.

Simultaneously, the metallicization of the five internal organs commenced, forming a Spiritual Energy vacuum several meters around him.

Sheng Ge felt an ominous premonition and watched in shock as, in just a few breaths, Li Mo broke through from the First to Second Layer of Puberty with unstoppable momentum.

Li Mo embodied the idea that his low cultivation was merely an attribute of his discretion; attaining the Sixth Layer of Puberty was little more than a procedural step.

He had no desire to completely suppress Sheng Ge.

But with the Five Organs Corpse Spirit Roots left un-metallicized, future encounters might betray his secrets to Nascent Soul-level Artifact Refiners.

For a newly emerged Artifact Person to harbor Fake Core Stage cultivation was already too preposterous to believe.

Li Mo exhaled a foul breath and resumed his ravenous absorption of energy, seamlessly advancing to the Third Layer of Puberty as the remaining internal organs underwent metallicization.

Leaning upon his mastery over the Corpse Spirit Root, he forcibly ascended his Ash Spirit Power. The compromise? The spiritual power would inevitably carry some impurity. The metallicization process of the Corpse Spirit Root would also require some time to stabilize.

However, these were matters for later; as long as his foundation remained intact, there was nothing to worry about.

When Li Mo opened his eyes, the Child Device Life Protection Heart Sutra had already advanced to the Sixth Layer of Puberty, while faint pain radiated from his Five Organs, leaving a taste of rust in his mouth.

The Nascent Soul Artifact Refiners’ duel had just concluded.

Master Fu Lian laughed heartily. "Dome Mountain, take a little advantage this time. Its Ash Spirit Power doesn’t align with my Mist Fog Spiritual Power. Just remember to owe me a favor."

Little did she know—Mist Fog Spiritual Power was actually Li Mo’s primary power.

She grabbed Sheng Ge and vanished, while Dome Mountain cautiously used Corpse Wind to carry Li Mo away, leaving behind the visibly furious Big Deer Thousand Feet.